Musings of the dead
by Psychometry
Summary: Honoka and Hanayo died one year ago... or they should have. Having survived a demon attack, they're forced by a strange government organization to hunt demons with their new abilities. However, their other friends have no idea they're alive. Honoka takes the risk of speaking to one of her best friends, but at what cost? Will she end up dragging them down as well?
1. Sonoda Umi I

**Uh, yeah. This probably won't be that long of a story. Just need something to write in-between other things.**

**Thought combat Hono would be fun. Enjoy**

* * *

A terribly dreary day. Dark gray clouds covered the vast expanse of the sky and threatened to pour at any moment. Branches shook in the howling wind, trash cans fell over, and discarded newspapers performed some type of freestyle dance routine as they were blown away at high speeds.

And yet 6 girls solemnly marched through this hellscape, each one with head down and tears threatening to spill over. Footsteps clacking on the stone path sound as they all gather in front of a tombstone marking the family grave of the Koizumi family. And the tears started to flow from each. Some held them back better than others, but there was a resounding wail to be heard from the otherwise empty cemetery.

The girls hugged each other, trying to comfort each other. A certain orange-haired girl cried particularly hard, her muffled screams of, "Kayo-chin! Kayo-chin!" drowned out by the intense wind.

Even though a year had passed, their mourning was stronger than ever, most of the girls unable to say anything through their tears or, more likely, not knowing what they could possible say in this situation.

And unfortunately for them, this was only the first of two stops on today's trip. After many minutes of grieving, they all finally managed to pull themselves away from the grave and continued along the path. To the southern end of the graveyard they found what they were looking for: a tombstone marking the family grave of the Kousaka family.

Almost as if a scene on repeat, each girl began bawling, grabbing onto each other for support. Except this time, the two second years were the ones crying harder. They held onto each other as if for dear life, afraid of letting the other go, afraid of being alone with those feelings.

There was nothing to be said, but just as before, they finally came to their decision to leave, knowing it would only hurt everyone to stay any longer. But as they left, the blue-haired second year remained behind. And though some members wanted to go back to her, they decided she needed some alone time with her friend.

On a dreary, terrible day, Sonoda Umi stood in front of the grave on one of her best friends, tears streaming down her cheeks. The clouds broke into rainfall, but she refused to move from her spot.

"It's been an entire year… hasn't it? I thought I could get over it, but…" her hands clenched into fists so tightly that her fingers began to lose colour. "Honoka…"

She finally noticed the rain, looking up and letting out a pained sigh. Though she didn't want to move, she knew she had to.

_I don't think Honoka would feel any better if I cried in front of her grave all day._

Even though she truly wanted to move, she found her feet planted firmly in place, unwilling to leave yet. But she struggled until she finally took one step back from the grave.

_Hey, Umi-chan! Being a school idol really is fun, isn't it? I'm glad we could all share this!_

Tears began streaming down her face again, mixed with the rain, as a scene from a year ago passed through her mind.

Honoka had been murdered, her body pretty much torn to shreds by some sicko. The murderer was never caught and that thought had been unsettling in the minds of all the girls over the year. Hanayo had suffered a similar fate, her body recovered from her own home where it had been cut in pieces.

Umi couldn't even imagine the horror her parents had to face when they found her body like that. Just the thought… her hand shot up to her mouth, the fear that she would vomit just from thinking about the two like that very real.

The loss of the two girls had marked the end of _μ's_. But they stayed as close as ever. Even after the third years graduated, they kept in contact regularly and the seven of them would meet up to be together whenever possible.

But it… never felt the same. Rin had lost some of her energy after the death of her best friend, but she still tried to show that eccentric personality in front of her friends. Kotori and Umi had been less talkative since Honoka's death as well. Though it felt like the friend group was as close as ever, they were also as different as ever.

The recently graduated third years were chasing their dreams and the new third years were studying for entrance exams and worrying about where they would go to university. However, in the end, thoughts of these two still lingered in the back of all of their minds.

Umi finally pulled herself away from the grave and slowly started her walk out of the cemetery. Her feet felt heavy and the sound of the splashing water rang in her ears. She turned to take one look back at the grave of her dear friend.

"Eh?"

Somebody was standing over it. Had one of the other girls come back? Or maybe it was a member of her family, though she thought they would have stopped by earlier. The rain was too heavy for her to make out any details of the figure, but they bent down and placed a hand on the grave.

If it was family, she didn't want to interrupt them, but she felt herself drawn back there. And so, she took slow steps towards the grave and figure. As she drew closer, the figure didn't even glance her way, but kept staring down at the grave.

And as she got closer and the figure became clear, she couldn't believe her eyes. Umi was frozen in place, unable to say anything or move an inch.

That's because the person who stood there was…

"Really… you guys don't have to visit my grave, you know? It made me really sad to see all of you crying like that."

_No… there's no way…_

A million thoughts and feelings flooded Umi's mind and she couldn't possibly sort them out fast enough to act on any of them, but she managed to get a single word out.

"Hono…ka…?"

The short-haired leader of their idol group turned to face her friend. She wore the same school uniform as the day she had been killed. In fact, nothing had changed about her. In that year, nothing had changed.

"It's been a year, huh, Umi-chan?"

Even her cheerful voice was the same. Umi felt tears rolling down her cheeks and felt a lump forming in her throat. Her body wanted to collapse and cry right there, but instead she took a step forward. And the next thing she knew, she was sprinting forward and practically dived into her friend with a hug.

"Honoka! Honoka!" She could actually feel her! "This isn't a dream, is it? I can feel you… I can smell you... I can hear you…"

"Ehhh? Do I smell? I even showered before coming here…"

Umi looked up at her friend angrily for joking around, but her anger faded immediately when she saw the radiant smile that she had missed so much for the past year. Seeing it again felt like nothing short of a miracle to her.

She finally managed to stop her tears and stood up straight, organizing her thoughts as best as she could given the impossible circumstances.

"Honoka… what happened? You died. You were buried here! And if not, then where have you been the past year?"

Honoka laughed and showed her friend another smile, then turned to look at the grave one more time.

"Why don't we get somewhere dry first? I'll treat you to some food or something."

Umi struggled to find something to say, but her friend grabbed her hand and began leading her out of the cemetery.

* * *

Not ten minutes later, they were in a small café off of a main street. Only a few other people were there, most likely not wanting to risk the run through the rain. The two were dripping wet, but luckily the owner provided them with towels that they could at least use to dry their hair.

The waitress took their orders, Honoka ordering a bunch of sweets and Umi only ordering tea

"Ehh? That's all you're going to get, Umi-chan? It's my treat, you know." Honoka pouted.

"Honoka… please stop with this. Just tell me."

Honoka's face relaxed. The waitress came by and placed glasses of water in front of them. Honoka absently ran a finger along the rim of her glass.

"Where to start… it's a long story, after all. Ah, I guess I should start with the obvious. I'm not dead! Surprise, Umi-chan!" She held her arms out waiting for a cheer from her friend, but nothing came. "Ah… uh… right… well, we had a good reason for pretending to be dead, I swear…"

"Huh? 'We?' Hanayo is alive too?" Umi asked in utter shock.

"Ah, yeah. She didn't really want to go out in the rain, though. And I only told her that I was gonna watch you guys and not actually speak to you. But when I saw you walking towards me… Hm… I don't really know what came over me. I guess a year without my best friends made me weaker."

Umi still couldn't comprehend anything. They were supposed to mourn their dead friends today, but now one of them shows up and she's telling her that the other one is alive too? Just what the hell is going on?

She wanted to yell at Honoka, but the melancholic look her friend had made her hesitate.

"A lot happened… I was pretty much dead for a week. After all, my body was pretty badly sliced up by a demon."

"Demon? Honoka…"

"Believe it or not, Umi-chan. Hanayo-chan and I were attacked a year ago by demons. Why did it happen to be the same day? Coincidence, I guess. Bad luck, probably. After I was sliced up by that demon, I was sure I was dead and yet… a week later I woke up in a strange place with strange people surrounding me, poking and prodding at my body with medical tools. It was scary, Umi-chan. I cried and cried, yelling out for you guys."

"What…?"

"I'm getting there. The Japanese government had recovered my body before my parents found it. How did they even know I was attacked? Beats me, they wouldn't tell me. But they did, somehow. As for whose body my parents found… I never got an answer for that either. Probably some other poor girl who got killed by demons."

Honoka paused when their food arrived and took a short break from speaking to dig into a slice of cake, going back to her old self with a, "It's so delicious! You have to try some, Umi-chan!" Umi, however, declined the offer and just took a sip of her tea, still staring at her friend.

Her friend took notice of this and hurried with the slice, taking a big gulp of her drink to wash it down.

"Ah, I've missed this place. It feels like it's been so long. Do you remember? You, Kotori, and I came here a few times after school in our first year. Ah, those were the times, weren't they? Ah, but I preferred being in _μ's_. Those days, with all of us together, were the most fun after all. Ahhh, I'm getting so nostalgic! Maybe because it's my first time in Japan in almost 8 months."

"8 months? What?"

"Oh, right. So, anyways, after that I ended up finding out that I survived because the demon's blood somehow got into me and it temporarily gave me some super regeneration. So, after a week, I was like new! And not just that, I'm a lot stronger and faster than before! But the people said the price for being like this is working for the government, so now I have to take shady jobs about killing demons from the government."

She holds up her hands in a shrug and takes a big bite from another sweet.

"So, yeah. I've been sent around the globe on these dumb jobs. I was in India for a few weeks before coming back here. I have to say, I definitely prefer Japan to all the places I've been though."

Umi couldn't believe she was talking about all of this as if it was nothing. The amount of information she had received was overloading her mind.

_Demons? Demon blood? Government jobs? What the hell is going on!?_

So many thoughts whirled around in her mind that she couldn't possibly sort them all out that quickly. How could her whole world be flipped upside down in just one moment.

"Honoka… it's not that I don't believe you, but what the hell? And why didn't you come to us sooner? Actually, you said you didn't even plan on reaching out to me today."

"Now, now, calm down, Umi-chan. Another price I paid for this… is that I'm dead. Well, to almost everybody else in the world, Hanayo-chan and I are dead. In fact, I'm pretty sure I could get into a lot of trouble if they find out that we're talking. I'm afraid that they'll punish you guys too if we associate too much, so I didn't want to reach out. But I really was outside of Japan up until two days ago. And even then, we had a job right outside of Kyoto, so we couldn't come back to Tokyo for a bit."

She looks down suddenly, a genuinely sad look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Umi-chan. I don't want to make you think this has been easy for us, either. I wanted…" Tears started to stream down her face suddenly. "I wanted… to see everything through. I wanted… to be in _μ's_ with everybody. I… I…"

Umi sighed, realizing a bit that, given the circumstances she's heard, it really wasn't her fault. She stood and walked around the table, leaned down and hugged her dear friend.

"Umi…chan…"

Honoka returned the hug and bawled into her shoulder.

"I didn't want this! I just… I want to be with everybody… I want to see everybody smiling… Everybody crying is just wrong!"

"It's okay, Honoka. It's not your fault." Umi gently ran her hands along the girl's hair, holding her close. "I'm just glad that you're alive."

"Umi-chan…!"

* * *

After Honoka calmed down, she dropped a few bills that could have paid for over three times what they ate and stood to leave.

"Ah, that was good. Looks like the rain is starting to lighten up too, but it's still pouring. Eh?" Honoka reaches into her pocket and takes out her cellphone. "Hello? Eh? Again? We just got here two days ago… Fine… Yeah, yeah. Buy me a cake or something later, Hime-chan." She hangs up and shoves the phone back into her pocket, turning back to her friend.

"Is something the matter, Honoka?" Umi already had a feeling about what it was, but she wanted to hear it.

"Ahaha… well, you see, turns out I have a job right now. Sorry about this, Umi-chan. I've gotta go grab Hanayo-chan so we can take care of this. Ah, but! Let me see your phone, I'll give you my new number."

Umi hesitantly hands over her phone, but it only takes Honoka a few seconds to enter her info before handing it back to her friend.

"It's under 'Hirose Chihaya.' That's the new name they gave me since Honoka is supposed to be dead." She shrugged as if it's nothing. "Anyways, call me later or something. If we're sneaky, maybe we can get lunch together!"

"Honoka!"

Umi yelled out to her friend, but the orange-haired girl sprinted from the store and down the street.

"Honoka…"

* * *

Honoka flipped open her phone and pressed the button to connect her to her friend. "Hanayo-chan? Mm. They dumped another mission on us. I'm on my way to the station. Wait for me there, I'll be about two minutes."

A short sigh escaped her mouth. It would be hell to explain to Hanayo that she had spoken with Umi. And not because they weren't supposed to, but because she would be upset that she hadn't come along. Honoka had a feeling she would never hear the end of it.

Soon after she found herself in front of the station and, sure enough, Hanayo was already there, waving her over.

"W-Where are we going?" Hanayo asked as the two start running.

"It's actually relatively close-by. However, Hime-chan said it was just a detection, so it might not even be actively attacking or anything. But that's better for us if it isn't. If we can find it when it's not already pissed off and killing somebody, we should have an easy time."

"R-Right!"

They ran along the streets until they got to a relatively more abandoned side street with no people. Hanayo took the lead, nervously glancing down each alley until finally coming to a stop.

She pointed down the alley slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible.

"Sorry, but I'll need to borrow your eyes for a bit, Hanayo-chan. Just stay at the entrance of the alley once I have them."

"Mm! I know." Hanayo held out her hands and a faint blue thread slowly reached out from Honoka until it's in her hand. Honoka closed her eyes. "I offer my heart."

Without opening her eyes, Honoka can see again, but she saw her own body. Almost like an out of body experience, it would throw off anybody who's not used to it. But Honoka and Hanayo had fought together many times.

Honoka tapped her chest once then held her hand out. A flash of light appeared in her palm and when she closed her hand, it closes around a katana in a bright orange sheath with yellow flowers strewn about the length. She brought the katana to her side and placed one hand on the hilt as she slowly moved into the alley.

Now that she saw through Hanayo's eyes, she could see it. A disgusting creature with warped bluish-gray skin. It stood at least two meters tall with unnaturally long arms. The hands at the end of those arms had razor sharp claws that extended farther than the girl's forearm. Black horns stuck out from the things head and that grotesque head turned to leer at her with dark spaces where the eyes should be.

Hanayo moved up to the entrance way to give Honoka as much of a view of the situation as possible.

"Honoka-chan…"

"Don't worry. I'll end it quickly. Just like I was taught. This demon is at most a D rank. I'll destroy it in one stroke."

Despite having killed hundreds of demons of this rank, Hanayo still got nervous when Honoka fought literally anything. Though it didn't really bother her, she wished for Hanayo's sake that she could keep it together.

The demon opened its large maw, an inhuman guttural noise coming forth. Hell, no animal is even capable of making a sound like that.

**GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**

Honoka took a deep breath and let it out, telling herself to stay calm. As long as she was calm, there was a zero percent chance of her losing to this thing. She gripped the hilt tighter as she continued to slowly close in. But the demon had other plans. It turned on it's claw-like feet and started to dash at her, the ground underneath it breaking apart under the pressure.

"Four seasons, winter style, 5th blade…"

The monstrous creature reached her just as she finished speaking and swept one of its long claws straight through the girl. Or rather, straight through what seemed to be the girl. Right after its claw passed through, the image of the girl vanished.

Honoka appeared above it, her back facing the ground. She drew her sword from the sheath and before the demon could even register what had happened: "Shimmer." The girl spun a 180 bringing her sword around and straight through the demon's neck, beheading it in an instant. She landed behind it and swung her sword towards the ground, spraying the black blood of the demon onto the ground.

Honoka opened her eyes, breaking the connection between her and Hanayo. She let out a sigh as she sheathed the katana.

"Well, just as I thought, it ended quickly."

Hanayo breathed a sigh of relief as she ran up to her friend.

"I'll call the cleanup crew!" She said, taking out her phone.

"Yeah, thanks." In a flash of light, the katana in the girl's hand vanished and she and her friend walked out of the alley. "Now then, let's go get some cake, shall we?"

"Eh? Cake? I-I-…"

"Come on, Hanayo-chan. Besides, I might have gotten us in a hell of a predicament earlier so I thought you might want to know about it, but I guess not…"

Honoka walked forward through the rain and turned back to her friend, a mischievous smirk on her face. And then she took off running.

"Honoka-chan!" Hanayo yelled out as she took off after her.

* * *

**Yeah, so I this just came to mind the other day, so I figured I would try out a first chapter to see how it turned out. I think it turned out alright, so thanks for reading.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	2. Sonoda Umi II

**More combat Hono.**

* * *

"Ahhh… Hanayo-chan, is it ready yet?"

Honoka leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling, the threat of falling back asleep looming heavily. She glanced towards the girl in the kitchen who was moving eggs on a pan, but she didn't bother to answer as that was the fifth time in 45 seconds that she had been asked.

"Hanayo-chaaaaaan~"

"Honoka-chan, they'll be ready in a minute, please be patient or I won't cook breakfast for you anymore."

"Ah, sorry, sorry."

After a minute of irritating silence for Honoka, her friend finally brought two plates to the table with eggs and bacon, a good enough breakfast any day for the two. They dug in without hesitation, but halfway through the meal, Honoka looked up at her friend who was more just poking at her food than eating.

"Could it be that you're still angry?"

Hanayo slammed her hands on the table with a, "Of course I am!" She sighed and continued. "First of all, you know we're not supposed to be in contact with them. That was one of the conditions for us being stationed in Japan again. And not to mention… if you're going to reach out, then tell me next time!"

Yeah, Honoka had figured that would be the biggest problem her friend would have with her actions. Though she really hadn't planned on speaking to anyone that day. If Umi hadn't come back to the grave, she wouldn't have gone after her.

"Why don't we both go talk to her then? I gave Umi my fake name and my number, so we can always go hang out with her now. I didn't tell anybody else though."

"How can you be so calm about this!? If they find out that we're in contact with the rest of _μ's_, who knows what they might do? H-Haven't you heard the stories about them silencing people for finding out government secrets?"

"I think they'd definitely bring us in before they kill our friends. Hime-chan could put in a good word for us. But I get what you mean. I'm a little worried as well. However…" Hanayo looked up to see the girl smiling. "I think you should speak with Rin-chan."

"H-Honoka-chan…"

"I'm serious. After a year without speaking to them, just talking with Umi-chan was enough to make me feel like I can keep going. If we're going to have to keep doing these jobs, then we should at least get some respite, right?"

Hanayo didn't answer and they ate the rest of their meal in silence.

* * *

"Ah, what the hell!? Two jobs in two days!?"

The full moon shone brightly overhead, giving an almost fitting atmosphere to the quiet park scene. Honoka tore her katana from the corpse of the demon she had just killed, another low-ranked troublemaker. She opened her eyes to break the connection with her friend.

"T-They really seem to be getting more active. Maybe that's why we didn't have to argue much to be stationed here."

"Ehh? I don't know about that. Doesn't Japan already have an S-rank demon slayer? I'm pretty sure they're ranked high even among the S-ranks as well. I'm sure they have them doing more important missions though."

Honoka turned to her friend and threw her hands in the air.

"So… why are we stuck killing E and D rank trash!? Ah, this is so boring! It was more fun in India! At least we got to fight C and the occasional B rank demons there! What did I spend that year training for!?"

Hanayo giggled at her friend's enthusiasm and made the quick call for a cleanup crew to take care of the corpse. Honoka sheathed her sword and threw it, the katana vanishing almost as soon as it left her hand.

"I'm bored. Let's go back and watch a movie or something."

"Honoka-chan!"

Reacting purely on her friend's voice, Honoka threw herself to the side and as soon as she did, the cement path under her was crushed by an impact.

"Hanayo-chan!"

"Mm!" Honoka closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I offer my heart."

Through Hanayo's eyes, she saw a large… serpent? The thing was massive, at least ten meters in length and a meter thick. Her katana appeared in hand once more, and she brought it close to her side, her hand instinctually going to the hilt, but the serpent didn't move.

"What the hell is that? Serpent demon… They're B rank, right? How did this thing go undetected? Hanayo-chan, stay back. Just keep it in your vision, I'll take care of it quickly."

The serpent reared its head back, showing massive fangs. One cut from those surely venomous fangs would mark her, the girl knew. Serpent demons were known for how quick they attack, so she would have to time her attack carefully.

"It's coming, Honoka-chan."

"Four seasons, spring style, 2nd blade…" The serpent appeared in front of her in an instant, its gaping maw threatening to tear her body to shreds. But Honoka was ahead of it, her instincts saving her life. Her footwork was so fast, it must have looked to the demon as if she just vanished, just as it had looked to her when the serpent lunged.

And she landed on the other side of the massive demon, sheathing her katana. "Blooming flowers." Hundreds of small cuts appeared along the length of the beast, each spurting blood simultaneously.

However, that seemed to do nothing but anger the beast as it turned quicker than the girl thought possible, its tail swinging into her stomach and sending flying into the fountain in the middle of the park. Parts of the stone exploded as she hit it, blood spraying from her mouth.

"Gah…" She fell but managed to get herself to one knee just as she saw the serpent preparing to lunge at her again. Even from this distance it would reach her in less than a second, so she had to think of something quick. "Four seasons, summer style, 5th blade."

_It hurts. I'm amazed my back isn't broken. I'll be surprised if I can even pull this technique off, or any of them for that matter. I have to end this soon. If I die, so does Hanayo-chan. I won't let that happen._

Her chest hurt with every breath and she could feel a warm liquid running down her chin, but she watched the serpent through her friend's eyes, recoiling back.

And at the same time the serpent lunged, she jumped. "Summer shower." From above, she impaled the serpent many times in the blink of an eye. These wounds were much deeper than the last ones, but she knew they weren't quite enough to finish it off.

Honoka took a deep breath, one that caused her immense pain, every nerve in her body screaming for her to stop moving. "Four seasons… winter style, 1st blade."

An intense pain flooded her entire body. She was sure something was broken, probably a few of her ribs, and it was making her chest feel like it was on fire. She choked on blood for a second but spit it out, determined to finish everything with this hit.

"Whiteout."

Just as her momentum began carrying her down, she vanished, appearing right next to the tail of the beast, sheathing her sword.

And a long gash that ran the length of the serpent's body appeared. Blood sprayed in every direction and the beast fell, unmoving.

"Kuh…" Honoka fell to one knee, her sword vanishing, blood still dripping from her mouth to the ground. Her connection with Hanayo broke as she opened her eyes to see the pool of blood steadily forming under her.

"Honoka-chan!" Hanayo was by her side in an instant, holding her up. "Let's get you to the doctor."

"No... Let's just… get home… Hime-chan gave me… elixirs… let's just get back…" She said between labored breaths.

Hanayo agreed and the two began walking out of the park. Their apartment was a decent distance away, but at this time there wouldn't be too many people if they stuck to side streets.

"Eh?" Honoka could barely muster the strength, but she managed to reach into her pocket and take out her phone which was vibrating from a call. Assuming who it was, she opened the phone and spoke. "Hime-chan… Looks like those elixirs… might actually get some use. Kuh!" She paused to cough up blood. "I got a little too cocky…"

"Honoka!?"

"Eh?" She looked at the phone only to realize it was Umi. "Umi-chan… sorry… forget I said that…"

"Honoka? What happened? You sound terrible…"

"Ahaha… nothing… just got a little… roughed up by a demon… it's… part of… the job…" Her voice trailed off as her body went limp, the cellphone falling to the ground.

"Honoka-chan!" Hanayo desperately tried to lift her, but unlike Honoka, her strength hadn't increased from the demon blood. "Honoka-chan!"

Honoka was bleeding pretty badly from her mouth and, even though Hanayo knew it was probably a mistake, she picked up the phone.

"U-Umi-chan..."

"Hanayo?"

"I-I don't have any time for questions, sorry. Please come to Shiomori Park, hurry!" She hung up the phone before the girl could say anything else and tried her best to slowly move Honoka along.

After a few minutes, she barely managed to move her to the entrance when Umi came running up, covered in sweat and taking large gulps of air.

"Hana…yo…"

Even though Honoka had told her that she was alive, seeing her still made the blue-haired girl stand there in shock for a moment, but then her eyes drifted to the limp girl who was bleeding from her mouth.

"H-Honoka! What happened?" She ran up to the other side of her and helped her up.

"I'll explain later so, just help for now, please."

They carried her quite a distance, Hanayo making sure to take mostly side streets to avoid any questions about the injured girl and to avoid anybody they might possibly know. It took a while, but they finally arrived at an apartment building and Hanayo punched in a code, the glass doors sliding open. She took a step forward but stopped.

"Umi-chan… I won't tell you not to come because I think Honoka-chan really wants to talk with you again and see you again. But… if you come up here, I can't say that you'll be safe in the future. We don't know if the government will try to silence you for associating with us. We… We were strictly warned about not talking with people from our past, but Honoka-chan took the risk anyways. But she doesn't want to endanger you, so…"

"Really…" Umi continued moving forward, Hanayo having no choice but to continue as well. "If they want to kill me for being with my friends, then go right ahead."

"Umi-chan…"

They took the elevator to the eleventh floor and Hanayo unlocked one of the apartments and they brought Honoka in.

The apartment was pretty small for two people. It had a tiny kitchen area, a small living room with just a sofa, TV stand, and a small table that you can sit at. There was one bedroom and one bathroom, both of which were uncomfortably small for two people.

They laid Honoka on her side on the sofa, Umi putting a towel under her head so the blood didn't drip everywhere.

Hanayo ran into the bedroom and came out a few seconds later with a glass vial in hand, full of a strange green liquid. She held Honoka's head up with one hand and poured the contents of the vial into her mouth with the other. Luckily, Honoka gulped down the liquid with no problem and the bleeding stopped immediately after, her breathing returning to normal as well. They threw a blanket over her before Hanayo motioned for them to move outside so they could let the girl rest.

Hanayo rested her arms on the railing and looked out over the city.

"Hanayo…"

"It's… been a long time, huh, Umi-chan?"

"Far too long, it seems." She didn't bother to hide her anger, but it was much more subdued than when she had spoken to Honoka before.

The short-haired girl just continued to stare out over the city, a smile coming to her face. Even just speaking to Umi a little bit did make her feel better. She wanted Rin to be there so badly…

"I guess Honoka-chan explained the basics of our situation. We don't really have much freedom in how we act right now. Unfortunately, we can never return to the normal world as Kousaka Honoka and Koizumi Hanayo. It's impossible. What excuse could there be? Our bodies were found basically destroyed and now we're just suddenly alive again? It's not like we were in comas."

Umi walked up to the girl and put a hand on her shoulder, showing her a gentle smile. Her anger had subsided quicker than even she expected. That's right. There was no reason for her to be angry at them, really. She was really just angry that she had to spend so much time away from them.

"Does that mean you won't speak with the others?"

"Ah… probably not for a while, at least. We'll gain more freedom if we move up in rank as partners. If we keep getting jobs so frequently, we'll move up in no time…"

Umi was surprised. The girl was speaking up more than a year ago. Her voice was clearer, and she seemed to hesitate less when speaking.

"It looks like you've certainly grown in the last year, Hanayo."

"E-Eh!?" That part of her probably wouldn't change much. "I-It's just because it's hard… to get a word in otherwise at meetings."

"Meetings?"

"Ah, once every month or two, we're called in for a meeting with the superiors. They basically tell us if we're being useful or not…"

Hanayo suddenly stopped speaking and looked out and below them, a horrified look on her face. Umi followed her gaze but saw nothing.

"H-Hanayo, what…?"

She grabbed Umi's hand and when the blue-haired girl blinked, she could see it. Ten or so giant wasp-like creatures flying at them.

"W-What-!?"

"I'm sorry, Honoka-chan… I offer my heart."

"Hanayo, what are you?"

The beasts continued to fly at them, long, jagged stingers aimed their way. One stab with those and either of them would be toast.

"W-We have to run! Hanayo-!"

Just as Umi was about to pull the girl away from the railing, the door burst open behind them. Honoka took two steps and jumped onto the railing, crouching down. Her sheathed katana was in hand and Umi could only look at the girl holding the sword in shock as she was right next to them, the katana so close she could reach out and touch it.

"Four seasons, winter style, 4th blade." Honoka jumped off the railing just as Umi reached out to stop her, but she quickly vanished from sight, appearing far below on the ground, unscathed. "Avalanche."

The giant wasp-like creatures were sliced into bits and the bloody pieces fell around the girl below them. The connection was broken and Hanayo and Umi both yelled out to their friend.

"Honoka!"

"Honoka-chan!"

She looked up at them, smiling despite her face giving away that she was in immense amounts of pain, and gave a thumbs up. But when she tried to stand, she fell back to one knee. Her breathing had become painful again and, despite the elixir doing its work, she definitely wasn't ready to be moving again.

But she forced herself to stand and the two saw her move into the building. As soon as she was in, Honoka grabbed her phone and dialed a number.

"…"

"Hime-chan, I love you and all, but what the fuck? What do you mean 'what?' Hanayo-chan and I had two instances tonight of undetected demons. What the hell is your department doing?"

"…"

"Whatever. Just report it in. One of them was B rank as well. Also, call the cleanup crew to outside the apartment we're stationed in. There are a bunch of corpses. Tell them it's an emergency."

Without waiting for the other girl to speak, she hung up. A minute later she was walking up to her friends, a hand clutching her side, her breathing still heavy.

They both rushed to either side to help support her.

"Honoka, that…"

"Ha… I told you, didn't I? I'm not… exactly just a human anymore."

Hanayo opened the door to their apartment and they brought Honoka in.

"Let's discuss things over some tea so Honoka-chan can rest."

With that she closed the door behind them.

* * *

**Well, that's it for this chapter. Fun stuff, huh?**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	3. Sonoda Umi III

**Hono**

* * *

"So?" Umi asked, impatiently tapping her foot, the cup of tea in front of her remaining untouched. Her eyes looked at both of her friends in turn, expecting some sort of answer from both.

They both looked at each other gauging what exactly was safe to say.

"W-Well, you see, Umi-chan…" Honoka spoke up with light tone. "I told you what happened already, right? About the demons and stuff. It's all true."

"And you're some kind of superhuman now, Honoka?"

"Superhuman might be going a bit far… but I guess you can say that I'm physically stronger than normal humans, yeah." She said with a shrug as if it only made sense given her story so far. "Oh, unless you're confused about my sword style? Master taught me pretty well, huh? Even I was surprised I could pull off Avalanche with those injuries. If I hadn't taken the elixir before, I probably wouldn't have been able to, haha."

Though she was laughing, it's true. The quick healing of the elixir was the only thing that had saved them back there. Without it, in that weakened condition, there was no way she would have been able to make that jump, much less use her sword style to kill those demons.

"Ho. No. Ka."

"Ehh, I don't know what you want me to say, really, Umi-chan. There are some things we really can't talk about. But like I told you, we take jobs from the government about killing demons. We were doing one of those jobs when I got injured. Well… actually I guess we were killing an undetected demon, but that's in the fine print of our job."

The two girls looked down before Hanayo finally took the reins.

"U-Umi-chan, she's really telling as much as she can… We were… Well, Honoka-chan was trained over the last year to fight demons. And we went all over the world to do it."

Umi sighed and just stared up at the ceiling, really not even sure what she should ask about. If they couldn't tell her about the job in detail, then it would be pointless pushing that. She felt like she had heard enough, but all the information was just too much for her to handle. She had spent the night before just laying awake in bed thinking about it all but couldn't come to any real conclusion.

"So, it's only a matter of time before you leave Japan?"

"For now, we're stationed here in Tokyo. I don't know how long that'll last though. We're hoping to be here for a while though."

Umi just shook her head.

"I just want you to be honest with me through and through. I don't want any partial truths or lies. I just want to know what's going on with you two."

Honoka and Hanayo looked at each other before the former smiled and nodded, standing. She took a deep breath before she tossed off her school jacket and began unbuttoning her white shirt.

"H-Honoka? What-?"

Umi's words were cut off when her friend opened her shirt a bit. A black circle with strange symbols inside was right above her breasts. It looked like a tattoo, but she knew it wasn't. Honoka took another deep breath before removing her right arm from the sleeve and Umi's eyes opened in shock.

"This is part of the price we pay. In order to use these swords, these Demonbrands, we had to have part of us stolen."

Her right arm was pitch black, red lines running in seemingly random directions all over the length. It stopped just before her wrist and just before her shoulder.

"Those who absorb enough demon blood to become a demon slayer all pay this price. A shame I won't be able to wear those cute outfits anymore, huh?" A single tear fell down her cheek and that sad smile threatened to break Umi's heart.

"Hono-…"

Before she could finish, they all heard a sound from the counter. Honoka put her arm back in the sleeve and buttoned her shirt up before she ran over. It was her cellphone that Hanayo had brought back.

She smiled at Umi and put a finger to her lips with a, "shh!" and clicked the answer button and then the speaker button, placing the phone on the table in front of her.

"Honoka? You there?"

"Hey, Hime-chan. Sorry about earlier. I was more than a little upset after having to fight even more demons while injured. But I'll forgive you since one of those elixirs is helping me right now."

"Ah, I'm glad to hear they came in handy. Well, I just got a report from HQ. Apparently, there has been an increasing number of incidents of undetected demons occurring in the Tokyo area. Also, the only S-rank who is assigned to Tokyo is out of the country on an important mission. I'm sorry, but you might have more work for a while."

Umi almost spoke, but a look from Hanayo stopped her.

"Thank you, Himeko-san." Hanayo spoke up. "We just wanted to be informed beforehand."

"Ahh, Hanayo-chan is there too! Hanayo-chan, when are you visiting again? I'll give you a bunch of sweets!" Himeko sounded like she was hugging something in the girl's place. "I'm waiting for you!"

"Eheh… Thank you, Himeko-san."

"Anyways," Honoka interrupted. "Thanks for the info, Hime-chan. I'm sure we'll be in touch again soon. Ah, if you run into Master, ask her when she'll be in Japan again for me."

"Will do." There was a pause. "Honoka, you know I can talk to HQ about that other request…"

"No need. Don't worry about it." Honoka snatched up the phone and turned speaker off. "Mm. Mm. Yeah. Thanks. I'll see you later, Hime-chan."

She hung up and let out a sigh.

"Well, I guess we won't be getting bored anytime, Hanayo-chan. Especially if more B ranks are going to go by undetected."

Umi started to say something, but silence fell over them when a knock sounded at the door. And to Umi's surprise, Honoka jumped from her chair and crouched down, facing the entryway to the apartment, her katana appearing in hand, a serious look coming over her suddenly.

Hanayo held a hand up to motion for Umi to remain silent.

Honoka slowly moved straight up to the door, another set of knocks sounding.

"Who's there?" She called out. No answer. "Answer or I'll use force to drive you away." Nothing. "Four seasons, winter st―"

There was a loud bang on the door and then the sound of footsteps walking away.

"Hey! Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." She kicked the door open and turned in the direction of the footsteps, but nobody was there. "…"

She moved back into the apartment, making sure the door was shut and locked behind her.

"Hanayo, the barrier hasn't been broken, right?" The girl shook her head. "Just who…?"

"Barrier?" Umi spoke up, becoming confused all over again.

"Ah, I put up a barrier so that nobody will approach this apartment. I let you in, so you had no problem following me in, but no normal people should be able to knock like that…" Hanayo nervously looked towards the door. "A-And they seemed pretty aggressive…"

"Let's just hope it wasn't someone from HQ who found out and tried to scare us." Honoka remarked. "Well, whatever. For all we know it could be a prank or something."

They all sat back down and finished the tea Hanayo had prepared. By the time they were done, Honoka was feeling like new again except for a slight stinging in her chest. Even an elixir couldn't heal broken bones in just minutes.

"Umi-chan, it's getting pretty late. You should probably head home now."

"… Probably…" Although she said that, Umi didn't move. "Honoka, I…"

"Don't worry. We'll be able to see each other again. I promise."

Umi couldn't help but let a smile break through her sadness. She stood and walked to the door. Honoka ran into the bedroom and came out with a bright orange hoodie on.

"I'll walk you home. Since there are an abnormal amount of demons about, it's probably the right idea. Ah, I guess Hanayo-chan should come too. Are you fine with that?" She asked, turning to her friend who nodded.

Hanayo ran into the bedroom and came out with a similar hoodie, but a bright green instead.

"Those hoodies…"

"Ah, well we're supposed to be dead, you know? And a lot of people in the area might remember us, so we have to hide our face when we're in public. We didn't bring them before because it's night, but that was probably a mistake. Can't be too careful." Honoka nodded as if she had just said something profound.

The three walked in relative silence, Umi still pondering a bunch of questions, but sure that the explanations would just leave her with more questions. Honoka and Hanayo seemed a bit on edge, glancing around them as if just waiting for a demon to pop out of nowhere like that serpent.

With those two on such high alert, even Umi began glancing around nervously. Though if before was any indicator, she wouldn't be able to see them anyways.

"So, can only certain people see these demons?" Umi finally asked.

"That's right." Honoka answered. "It's a possible side effect of demon blood getting in your system. Hanayo-chan gained the ability to see them, but not the ability to fight. That's why I have to borrow her eyes when we fight."

"Borrow her eyes?"

"It's kind of like magic…" Hanayo said, thinking about it. "I can let her see through my eyes as long as she keeps her closed. Honoka-chan can fight demons, but she can't see them without somebody's help."

"It's possible to train hard enough to see demons, but it takes such an absurd amount of effort and time, most demon slayers don't bother. Most work in pairs like us, borrowing the eyes of their partner."

"I see…"

Yup, just like she thought. That only confused her more. She figured she would never understand all this demon slayer stuff and hearing more about it only raised more questions.

A chill running down Honoka's back made her stop, holding her hand out to motion for the other two to stop as well. Her katana appeared in hand.

"Hanayo-chan… Do you feel that?"

"Mm… it's overwhelming… at least an A+ rank demon with that kind of aura."

They were on a side street that was devoid of people, but they heard it. A crunching sound. A sound that sent chills down all their backs as they felt they could recognize it without even seeing it. Honoka ran forward, Hanayo right behind her and Umi in third.

And sure enough, when they turned a corner, Hanayo gasped. But she quickly recovered enough to tap Honoka on the shoulder who closed her eyes before Hanayo whispered, "I offer my heart."

Umi covered her mouth, her stomach threatening to expel its contents. For Umi, all she saw was the mangled corpse of a person, arms and legs twisted in impossible directions, bones sticking out in random places. She wanted to turn away but couldn't.

However, Hanayo and Honoka, through her friend's eyes, saw a humanoid figure standing over the corpse, holding one of those bones. The figure snapped the bone in two and dropped it before turning its attention to them.

It looked like a man in his earlier twenties, a regular business suit on as if he had just been on his way home from work. But his eyes… or lack thereof. He just had two black holes where his eyes should be, but he could clearly see them as he smiled. And in a voice that sounded just like a human's, he spoke.

"Ah, young demon slayers. It's always good to see you so full of energy." They said nothing, but Honoka took a step forward.

"You piece of shit…"

"Huh? We're just doing what we have to do to survive? Ah, but I guess this was just more of a snack." The man snickered to himself. "Afterall, there's nothing as satisfying as tearing the fetus from a mother to-be while she's still alive. Ah, if only you could have heard the screams."

Umi looked between the two girls in confusion and when Hanayo noticed, she grabbed the girl's hand, allowing her to see and hear the man.

"I used to wonder why we have to kill demons. But hearing you say that makes it very clear that you're an enemy." Her grip tightened around the hilt of her sword. "Luckily for you, I'll make your end swift."

"Oh? By all means, please do."

"Tch. Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." Honoka vanished from sight. "White―"

To the other two girls, she had moved impossibly fast, but clearly not as fast as the demon. As her blade approached his neck, she saw the demon move, the man simply backhanding her sword. And another slight flick of his hand sent the girl into the stone wall around one of the houses. The wall cracked on impact and Honoka screamed out in agony.

"Ha. It would seem that you haven't been a demon slayer for very long, right? To think such a straightforward move would even touch me."

Honoka had enough sense to push through the pain and jumped back towards her friends, bringing her katana to bear once again.

_What was that? That movement… It's way beyond even B rank demons that I've fought. Is this the power of an A+ rank demon?_

She took a deep breath, calming herself. It was just one time.

"Four seasons, spring style, 1st blade." Once again, she dashed forward, pouring all of her strength into her movement, believing that her only chance would be to outpace this demon. "First bloom."

Sure enough, the man didn't react in the least and his back burst into blood as the swipes from her sword were realized. But the man didn't even stumble.

"Eh?"

He turned around to face her, a calm smile still on his face.

"Is that all? Hmph. Nothing but pins and needles. I'm disappointed. After all, I came all this way to see you."

"Me?" Honoka tensed up, bringing her katana against her hip, ready to draw it again. "How would you even know me? I believe you're mistaking me with someone else."

"Haha. Impossible. Kousaka Honoka-san… there has been a lot of talk among the higher ranked demons about you."

"I don't believe I'm so special that I should receive such an honour." She spat back.

"Oh, but you are. The heir to the Four Seasons, Kousaka Honoka. An upstart who mastered twenty blades in one year. Very fitting for that person's heir."

"I'd rather you don't run your mouth about Master. And I'd definitely appreciate it if you kept her name out of your shitty mouth."

"So rude. Well, luckily for you, I didn't come here to kill you today, so I'll just take my leave. Please have your cleanup crew…"

"Four seasons, winter style, 5th blade." Without responding to the man, she dashed forward. Her body hadn't fully recovered and that hit had reminded her tenfold of that fact. When she got close to the man, he didn't even reach out to stop her, but she vanished, appearing behind him.

His hand lashed out suddenly, stabbing right through the girl's neck, but that too vanished. Honoka appeared right next to him, crouching and shot off the ground, a swing of her sword taking his left arm cleanly off.

"Shimmer Twice." She let the momentum of her jump carry her onto the stone wall.

The arm flew high into the air and landed next to the man's foot.

"Hm." He didn't show any sign that he had even felt the injury but looked at the arm with intrigue. "You modified one of your blades? Heh. That was quite impressive, Kousaka-san. Truly there's no way I would have expected that."

"I have to say," Honoka smiled through her pain. "It's a lot harder than it looks."

The man slowly reached down and picked up the arm, placing it back where it belonged, the arm reattaching as if nothing had happened.

"Ah, I'm a bit disappointed though. I was hoping to see your Autumn blade."

Honoka's face scrunched up in agitation.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but Master told me not to use that style."

"Is that so? Even if you would have lost your life in this fight? That's some terrible sense of loyalty to your master."

"She's the one who taught me. It's the least I can do for her."

A long sigh escaped the man's mouth.

"Well, truly I only stayed behind a bit because I was hoping to catch a glimpse of it. But if it's as you say, then I'll take my leave."

"Wait! Four seasons, winter style, 1st―"

The man vanished in a black cloud and Honoka lowered her sword.

Umi watched the girl jump down, opening her eyes, and begin walking toward them. The shock was evident on her face.

_What the hell was that? I saw Honoka move like that before but… Just what the hell!?_

"Man, I must really be losing my edge. Two injuries in the same night."

Umi leaned in towards Hanayo and whispered, "Is Honoka amazing or something?" That was the only conclusion she could come up with from what the man had said.

"W-Well… though Honoka-chan won't acknowledge it herself… she mastered 20 different blades in only one year. From what I've heard, it usually takes at least a year just to learn 5 blades."

"I see…" She didn't really get it, but it meant that Honoka was exceptional in some way.

"Ah, that was definitely something. Don't hurt an injured girl." Her katana vanished as she reached her friends. "I guess I'll have to report that to Hime-chan later. But for now, let's really get Umi-chan home. I'm even more worried after that encounter."

"Honoka…" Umi started, a worried tone evident.

"I'm fine, Umi-chan. Sorry you had to see that. I know this has to be too much for you take in all at once. But for now, let's just get you home, alright?"

Umi just nodded, unable to protest.

And a few minutes later, they stood outside her house, the two girls waving to their blue-haired friend as she opened her door. She slowly looked back at them.

"Later, Umi-chan~" Honoka called out.

"I-I'll see you later, Umi-chan."

And with that, the two turned away, walking back into the darkness until they were gone from sight.

* * *

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	4. Muse I

**Well, yeah.**

* * *

"Sore… Soooore… Hanayo-chan, put me out of my misery…" Honoka was sprawled out on the sofa, her back so sore that she had barely bothered to get up the entire day before. And this morning was no different. Hanayo just laughed at her request. "Then give me another elixir, please…"

"We can't waste elixirs just because you're sore, Honoka-chan… Besides, the actual injury to your back should be healed from the last elixir that's still in your system."

"But…" She knew that, of course. But the soreness in her back killed her motivation to do anything. Luckily, they hadn't gotten any jobs last night, but they had planned to start patrolling at night due to the increase in demons. But now she was thinking of some way to get out of that.

Umi hadn't contacted her the day before besides one message asking how she was feeling. Honoka was actually a bit grateful for that. Despite wanting to see her friend more, she knew it was probably a bad idea for her to get involved with them too much. At least right now.

As she was thinking about that, Honoka's phone ran on the table next to her and she lazily reached over to see Himeko was calling her. "Hello? Hime-chan? I'm sore, so please don't tell me that your demon detecting equipment is starting to work and we have a job."

"From the lack of excitement in your voice, I guess you haven't heard from her yet?"

"From who?"

"I heard that your master got in from Egypt last night."

"Ehhhh!? No way! She didn't contact me right when she got here!? Can you send me the place she's staying at?"

Himeko agreed to and Honoka jumped up, suddenly forgetting about her soreness and gave Hanayo a hug from behind.

"E-Eh? Honoka-chan?"

"Get this, Hanayo-chan! Master is here! We can go see her! Ah, I'm so happy! It feels like its been so long… even if it's only been a month or something. But well, let's not talk about that part."

Honoka threw on some casual clothes and tried giving her master a call, but to no avail. She sent a bunch of texts, which all received no reply, so she finally decided that she would just go to her place after all. And so, soon after, her and Hanayo set out of their way, making sure to don their hoodies. They would be going out in the city during the day after all, a big risk when they're supposed to be dead.

Surprisingly, the hotel her master was staying at wasn't that far from their own apartment complex. But it was definitely… something.

"What's with this fancy hotel!?" They stood outside one of the largest hotels in the cities and, not to mention, one of the most expensive. It was one of those hotels you'd expect foreign dignitaries to be staying. "We get a tiny apartment and Master gets to stay here!?"

"L-Let's just go in, Honoka-chan…"

They were getting their fair share of stares as they walked in. Well, they were two girls wearing hoodies in a building where pretty much every man and woman wore suits. They were horribly out of place, but the place was busy enough that nobody bothered to talk to them.

After locating the elevator, they took it to the second floor from the top, a penthouse like the one above it. Honoka knocked on the door and heard something fall and then some feet shuffling around.

"Master? It's me, Honoka~! And Hanayo-chan is here too."

She heard the lock on the door turn, but it didn't open. Confused, she twisted the knob and sure enough it opened right up. And geez, she knew she couldn't leave her master alone.

The penthouse itself was beautiful, with modern furniture, a large TV, an insane amount of space for a hotel room, fancy lights, all the works. But the place was an absolute mess. Papers were _everywhere_. Book and papers. Various strange objects that looked like souvenirs from other countries were also strewn about. Many of the papers were crumbled as if they had been stepped on.

"Master…" Honoka said wearily, knowing she would probably have to be the one to clean this up if anyone was going to.

But something felt off to her. And she summoned her katana, drawing it just in time to turn to her left and block a metal projectile that was fired from across the room.

"Oh? Glad to see your senses aren't dulled just because you're meeting me."

A girl not much older looking than them was leaning against the wall on the far side of the room. Long dark hair was pulled into a ponytail that leaned to the left. She also wore a school uniform, the standard for demon slayers of their age group. Beautiful violet eyes stared the girls down.

"Come on, Master. I expected something like this."

"That's good. Well then." The girl held her hand out, a katana of her own appearing in a dark purple sheath with pink flowers flowing up and down the length. "If you break anything in the place, it's your loss. Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade."

Honoka braced herself. Though she used the same sword style, her master was far ahead of her in terms of practice and skill. She had been using the four seasons much longer and winter style was her specialty.

"Four seasons, winter style, 5th blade."

Luckily for Honoka, she had trained with her master plenty. So, she knew the overwhelming speed her master possessed and was ready with an appropriate counter. And sur enough, when the girl reached her, she vanished immediately, appearing overhead, but to her surprise she saw the katana of her master already approaching her from below.

"Whiteout."

But Honoka vanished again and even her master had a shocked look for a second before recovering, but that initial shock was exactly what Honoka had hoped for and she appeared below her master, swinging her sword and sending the girl's katana flying from her hands.

"Shimmer Twice. Looks like it's…"

Before she could speak, her master backhanded her katana to the side, grabbed Honoka by the collar and flipped her onto her back.

"Kuh!"

"My victory, right?" Her master said, smiling down at her. "Besides…" She motioned to the side where the katana had stuck through one of the chairs.

"Ahhh, having extra conditions is so unfair… And that hurt! My back is sore, please spare me next time, Master…" She said, standing and rubbing her poor back.

"N-Nice to see you again, Seira-san." Hanayo spoke out after the ordeal was over.

"Mm. It's good to see you in good health, Hanayo-chan. Thanks for taking care of this useless successor of mine." She bonked Honoka on the head for good measure eliciting another series of complaints from the girl.

After they had sorted out the situation, they all sat in the chairs surrounding the small table in the middle of the place, Seira leisurely sipping on some tea.

"So, Shimmer Twice, huh?" She asked, opening one eye to look at her student.

"Eheh… I realized that the issue with Shimmer is that if someone can predict where I'll appear, I'm pretty much dead. So, I've been practicing using it twice rapid succession."

"Mm. The ability to analyze our blades and make changes is great. Though, I'm surprised you came up with it yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"Shimmer Twice, huh… The previous master of Four Seasons used a similar move but called it Second Shimmer. I could never personally master the way he did it, but you employed an easier method. I'm proud of you."

Honoka rubbed the back of her head, her face red with embarrassment from the unusual praise from her master.

"Now then, I actually came to Japan for a reason this time."

"Eh?"

"I'm sure you've heard already that demon sightings are increasing. Not to mention, more and more are going by undetected. It's not just in Tokyo, but in many major cities around the world. And well… I'm not supposed to share this information with lower ranks, so keep quiet about this."

The two girls nodded nervously.

"Last year, we found what we suspect to be the hideout of the first Demon Lord. The expedition was delayed a few times for various reasons, but two S-ranks were sent, and both have been MIA for two months. Of course, we can't let word of this spread too much. The damage to morale at the news of the possible death of two S-ranks could be irreparable."

"Two of them…? No way…"

"Mm. So, well. They've been thinking of sending a member of N to check it out."

"N?" Honoka thought for a second. "Uh…"

"Honoka…" A sigh escaped Seira and she shook her head. "I guess I did focus more on practical training instead of information. N are the five most powerful demon slayers. Well, arguably. No ne ever contests them for a position because of their reputation. Technically they are N-rank, so just think of them as a step above S-rank."

"Ehhhh? Aren't there only a few S-ranks? And yet there's something above them…"

"Mm. There are about… fifteen S-ranks across the world, counting the two who may or may not be dead. Well, anyways, that's why things have been a bit hectic. I'm here to investigate some strange happenings myself."

"Strange happenings?"

"Don't worry about it. If I find anything, you guys are bound to hear about it anyways."

* * *

Umi looked over the scenery of the city, thoughts flying in and out of her mind as she organized what she considered to be important while waiting for her friends. Despite not having school that day, she stood on Otonokizaka's rooftop, smiling as memories of the past distracted her.

She turned when the door opened and Kotori walked through, waving. And followed by her, the rest of the girls came in, the third years once again wearing their old Otonokizaka uniforms.

"I kept this, but I never thought I would actually be wearing it again…" Nico commented, lamenting at the fact that she hadn't grown at all in the past year.

"I was hoping I'd get the chance to again." Nozomi said with a laugh. Eli nodded at that and approached her friends.

"Ah, it feels just like old times to have everybody together in uniform, nya!" Rin said, throwing her hands around Nozomi. "Seeing you guys in uniform again just feels right!"

They all shared a laugh at that.

They had been planning this for a while. Something of a little get together to remember the past. They had specifically planned it on a day when everybody would be off and there was no school. The nostalgia filled all of them and they were silent for a bit, just taking in the air.

"Hey, why don't we dance?" They all looked towards Kotori, who was smiling. "I still remember the steps to all of our songs."

They all nodded somewhat sadly, remembering the absence of two of their members, but they all agreed to try it out once again.

* * *

"Hm?" Honoka reached in her pocket for her phone. "Hey, Hime-chan. What's up?"

"Honoka! Emergency! There's an A rank demon heading straight for your old school! We have confirmation of vital signatures still in the school. Head there immediately!"

"Eh? Eh? Ah, right!" She hung up and grabbed Hanayo's hand, leading her towards the door. "We've gotta go. Something is heading towards Otonokizaka. We'd appreciate the help if you want to come, Master."

"I'll sit this one out. I need to start my investigation after all… Hey, Honoka. If worst comes to worst…" The two girls stared at her in confusion before she shook her head. "Never mind."

"Then, see you, Master!"

As she the two left the room, Seira sighed and began picking up some of the papers.

"You shouldn't listen to my selfish requests so easily, Honoka…"

* * *

"Hanayo-chan, I'm sorry, but we need to go fast. So please hold on." Honoka swept up her friend in a princess carry and, using all the strength in her legs, launched them into the air. Just like any kid who reads manga had dreamed of doing, she jumped from rooftop to rooftop heading straight for their old school.

The school that held so many memories that were now so painful to her.

After a few minutes, the school was in sight and… Hanayo also saw something flying perpendicular to them. It would reach the school just before they did.

"Honoka-chan, I see it… but I can't tell what it is from this distance. It's going to reach the school right before us."

"That's fine. Let me borrow your eyes a little early, Hanayo-chan. I have the feeling I'll have to engage it immediately."

"Mm." Honoka closed her eyes. "I offer my heart."

And she saw the same thing Hanayo had seen. Something was just about to land on the school rooftop, and they were one jump away. But then she noticed the girls on the rooftop.

"That's…!"

* * *

All the girls began laughing as they finished the dance to an old song of theirs. A few tears dropped down some of the members' faces, but they wiped them away. This was supposed to be a happy meeting.

Supposed to be.

The entire building shook as part of the roof practically exploded as if something had just crashed into it. All of them members managed to keep their balance, but looked toward the spot, not seeing anything.

But they all heard it.

**GRAAAAAAAAAAAH!**

But before any of them could collect their thoughts, a hooded figure landed between them and the roar.

Honoka took a deep breath and her katana appeared in hand. Now that she was there, she could see exactly what it was. It was somewhat humanoid, but with horns and its skin… was stone. A gargoyle. An A rank demon. The thing narrowed its eyes at the appearance of the girl, likely thinking it had found a few easy snacks.

Hanayo stood off to the side but refused to look in the direction of her old friend group, scared to see them, but also knowing she needed to keep her eyes on the demon.

"Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." Honoka crouched and dashed forward. "Whiteout."

But to her surprise, when she reached the beast, her sword barely even chipped the stone before being reflected off and she had to regain her composure and jump back to avoid a swipe from the claw of the beast.

She saw the small chip she had made regenerate and clicked her tongue, knowing this would be a tough one.

"Four seasons, spring style, 1st blade." She dashed forward once again and came out behind the beast. "First bloom."

She felt all of her hits connect but, once again, the demon's back was only chipped, and those wounds regenerated quickly.

"This is why I never wanted to fight a gargoyle…" Honoka mumbled to herself.

Just as she was preparing to try something else, the beast suddenly turned and looked towards the group of girls and sprinted for them.

"You bastard." Honoka moved quicker and arrived in front of Nozomi just as the beast swung its claw down. She dived into the girl, shoving her aside, but the beast's claw raked her back and tore the hoodie right off of her. "Ghh!"

It jumped back and let out something that sounded like a rough laugh.

Honoka stood, bringing her katana back to her side, but she could feel the warm blood dripping down her back from the large wounds.

"Honoka…?"

A shiver went down her spine, but she was thankful that Hanayo kept her eyes on the beast and didn't look back at the girls. She recognized the voice. It was Eli. Only then did she realize that he hoodie she was wearing had been torn off, revealing her face to all of her old friends.

Just as she prepared to move forward, Maki walked up next to her.

"So that's what this is about…" She sighed. "I get it now, but you better apologize later."

Hanayo looked over at her, forcing Honoka to look too. Maki was smiling though, something neither of them expected.

"Hanayo. She's borrowing your eyes, right? I know it's straining but let me borrow them too. Just for a bit." Maki held her hand to her side and katana appeared in a cherry-red sheath with contrasting blue waves going up and down the length.

"Maki-chan… that's…"

"Looks like we both have some explaining to do, huh? Hanayo, please."

"Ah, y-yes!" Maki closed her eyes. "I offer my heart."

And now both of the girls were seeing through their friend's eyes. And Maki could see the gargoyle standing in front of them.

"Ah, that's why you were having trouble. Hey, Honoka. I'm not the fastest, but if I can make an opening in that skin, can you finish it off. You'll have less than a second for the opening though."

"That's plenty of time."

Maki smirked. "The opening will be the center of its chest. Carve out its heart."

Maki took a few steps forward, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.

"A rank, huh? Gargoyles are only considered A rank because of their hard skin. Without that, they're just like any other demon." She crouched as the gargoyle let out another one of its loud shrieks. "Moon style, 2nd blade."

She ran forward, the demon running to meet her. Just as she reached it, an incredibly fast swipe of its claw almost caught her, but she expertly dodged around it, like a dancer performing.

"Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." Honoka prepared for her friend's opening.

Maki dodged two more attacks and brought her shining sword forward, but instead of hitting with the blade, she jammed the hilt into its chest.

"Waning Moon Reversed."

And the stone of the gargoyles skin shattered, revealing flesh underneath. Before the monster could begin to regenerate or put up a defense, Honoka was already standing behind it.

"Whiteout."

And the chest burst into the blood, the heart of the demon pierced by her sword. The gargoyle fell, lifeless to the ground.

When the two girls opened their eyes, they noticed that the gargoyle was actually visible, and all the other girls were looking in horror.

"Ah…" Honoka laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "I forgot. Gargoyles are one of the few demons that become visible to normal people when they die. But, Maki-chan, I never knew you were a demon slayer."

Maki shook her head, her katana disappearing.

"I'm not. I just come from a line of them. I was trained as a child, but only ever learned a few blades. I have no intention of becoming one either. But well, before we get into that…" She looked at their other friends who could only look on in shock. "It looks like you and Hanayo have some explaining to do for their sake."

* * *

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	5. Muse II

**Hey hey, combat Hono at it again. Have fun reading.**

* * *

Soon enough all of the girls were gathered in Maki's living room. Honoka was holding a towel over her chest as she had to take her shirt off so Maki could treat her wounds. The girls grimaced at the deep claw marks.

"Ow, ow, Maki-chan please be gentler!" Honoka yelled out even though all the redhead was doing was cleaning the last wound.

"Suck it up." After she was done, she wrapped the wounds up and Honoka put her shirt back on.

"Ahh, my back has been injured three times in the last week. Why can't these stupid demons cut up my stomach or something else for once?"

Everybody just looked at each other, Hanayo and Maki sighing at the stupid comment, the rest of the girls looking for some kind of explanation that they wouldn't find with the rest of their friends. Umi just stared at the girl.

Rin had been staring at Hanayo almost the whole time, but Hanayo just stared at her lap, unable to bring herself to look at her best friend.

"I thought you weren't going to approach everybody." Umi finally spoke up, breaking the awkward silence.

"You knew they were alive, Umi?" Nozomi asked in shock.

"Only for a week or something now. Since the day we went to visit their graves."

"Ahaha. I didn't really mean for it to happen then, but since we're all meeting up now anyways, it's kind of funny, right?" Honoka tried to laugh it off but she was the only one laughing. She awkwardly swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

She looked to Hanayo for help, but she was just staring down at her lap and when Honoka noticed the other girl staring at her partner, she understood why. It must be just as awkward between the two of them.

"Well, um…" Honoka started, scratching her head. "We're uh, we're not dead! Surprise!" All the girls just stared at her, unimpressed. "I guess that never works, huh…"

Honoka finally sighed and explained things in as much detail as possible. About their "deaths", about demons and them being demon slayers, just what they've been up to for the past year, and about what most of them were also wondering about: her black arm.

By the time she was done, all of the girls except for Umi and Maki were staring at them in disbelief. But some attention was shifted to Maki, asking for an explanation from her as well. Just as she had told Honoka before, she explained that she came from a lineage of demon slayers but wasn't an active one by any means.

When all was said in done, the girls were speechless for a bit, no one knowing what to say. But Kotori finally stood and walked to stand beside her close friend.

"Kotori-chan, I…"

A loud sound echoed through the room as Kotori slapped her friend, hard. Honoka just sat there in shock, never expecting Kotori of all people to do that. But when she looked back at her friend, Kotori embraced her, crying loudly into her shirt.

"I… I'm so glad… It was painful, you know… to lose you two…"

Honoka smiled and gently ran her hand through her hair. But she sighed and looked to all of her friends.

"I hope you all somewhat understand the situation we're in. We won't be able to be with you guys regularly. It's just impossible right now. We're breaking some serious rules just speaking to all of you now. If they catch a whiff of this, we could be seriously punished… or even worse, you guys could be. That's why we avoided you. If something happened to any of you because of us, we…"

Hanayo nodded slowly, still not looking up fully. But she finally snuck a look up at her best friend to see tears streaming down Rin's face. And Rin leaped over the small table to embrace her friend suddenly.

"Kayo-chin!" She cried even louder than Kotori.

"R-Rin-chan!" Hanayo embraced her, tears flowing from her eyes as well.

All of the girls just watched and couldn't help but smile at the reunion. After they had all had their hugs and the girls had caught up the two on their lives, they finally all settled down.

"So," Maki started. "What's going on in the demon slayer world? I don't really keep up with events anymore. I also don't have access to a reliable information network anymore."

"Mm. Demon sightings have been increasing in Tokyo. Well, all over the world, apparently. My master is here investigating something related to it right now. Apparently, they believe that they've found the lair of the first Demon Lord."

Maki's eyes opened wide with shock.

"The first… Demon Lord… no way. In thousands of years, nobody has found it. Maybe they can finally…" She shook her head, looking around to see the rest of the girls were confused. "Anyways, I'm kind of shocked. You're the heir to the Four Seasons, Honoka? And you've mastered them in just a year?"

"That's right?" Honoka said while tilting her head in confusion. "It's nothing special. My master is just really good at teaching."

"Hm. I bet."

"Eh?"

"She trained me in basic swordsmanship when I was a kid. My mother, the old master of the Moon, was very close with the previous master of the Four Seasons. At the time, Seira-san was still in training, but her master thought it would be a good idea to teach me for some reason. Of course, I was set to be the heir to the Moon, not the Four Seasons, so it wasn't blades that she taught me. However, at some point I decided to say no. So, another unrelated girl was chosen to be the heir to the Moon. And now I'm just studying to be a doctor like a normal person."

It was kind of hard for Honoka to believe. Heirs were often chosen from outside the family, but she had never heard of someone forsaking their title as an heir. After all, the decision to name an heir isn't one made lightly.

Well… she's been told it isn't, but in her eyes Seira has chosen her almost on a whim. Even though Seira had told her time and time again that she had her reasons, she would never share those reasons.

"Master is actually in Tokyo right now. You should see her if you get the chance." Maki was shaking her head before her friend was even finished.

"I turned away from the path of a demon slayer. I rejected the Moon and chose to walk my own path. I'm no longer a part of that world."

"Despite that, you wielded your Demonbrand and helped us back there. I couldn't be more grateful, Maki-chan." Honoka showed her a genuine smile.

"Hm…" Maki turned her head away but smiled.

"This is so much to wrap our heads around." Eli said, rubbing her temples.

"Aha, sorry about that…" Honoka awkwardly replied. "There really is no easy way to explain it." Something popped into her head then. "Maki-chan, what did you sacrifice?"

"Eh?"

Honoka rolled up her sleeve to show her arm. The other girls had seen it earlier, so they weren't surprised by it anymore.

"My right arm gained the most demon blood when I was attacked. That's why it's my 'sacrifice'."

"Ah. I was trained from birth, so I have no demon blood in me. That's why I'm not as fast as you. I never had to sacrifice anything to become a demon slayer."

"I see…"

They dropped the subject of demon slayers and whatnot for a while and Honoka truly felt like it was just like old times. Rin clung to Hanayo as they spoke, Maki and Nico were at each other's throats about some bad joke one or the other made, Nozomi would chime in and say something that made them both embarrassed and angry. Eli would try to calm them down. Umi and Kotori sat on either side of Honoka, talking like everything was normal.

It was fun. And almost therapeutic for the girl.

After a while though, she stood and walked around the table, turning to face her friends.

"I'm sure I can say this for Hanayo-chan too, but this has been the best day in the last year. I'm really grateful that we could all be like this again. There was some commotion before, but I'll say it again. We won't be able to be around you guys regularly and I'm sorry for that. Not only is it highly against the rules, but we're on the clock day and night for hunting demons."

Tears started to well up in her eyes.

"We're supposed to be dead to the world, so…" Honoka clenched her hands, trying to hold in the tears, but they flowed. "I'm sorry, everyone." Hanayo stood and walked up to her, the both of them bowing. "I'm sorry we… couldn't finish together… I wanted… I wanted to see Love Live through with you all… I wanted to… do… so much…"

Honoka fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands.

Maki walked over and knelt next to her friend.

"This is the path a demon slayer walks. Their only friends are others like them. They're alive, but dead at the same time. They can never live a normal life." Maki brought Honoka close to her, stroking her hair. "But we'll be there for you. After all, I'll put in a good word."

"Eh?" Honoka looked up at her, her eyes red from crying.

"Hm? Oh, didn't I say? My mother is one of the three Heads."

Silence fell over the room for a second before Honoka and Hanayo both burst out with an "Ehhhhhhhh!?"

"Your mom is one of the Heads!? Eh? Eh? I've never seen her at one of the meetings though. It's always that grumpy old guy."

"Ah, yeah. Tsudoji-san, right? He used to come over here a lot when I was little. I haven't seen him in years though. Glad to hear he's doing well."

The two were still in shock over this revelation. But if Maki could help…

"We're counting on you, Maki-chan!" Honoka jumped up and hugged the girl. "To think that we were always near somebody with so many connections.

"Of cour- Wha!?" Maki couldn't finish her statement before her face turned red and she yelled out.

"Ah, yes. These definitely feel like they've slain many a demon." Nozomi said from behind her, rubbing her breasts.

"Nozomi!"

Everybody burst into laughter from that. Honoka was glad to see everybody laughing again.

_Mm. This is how it should be._

They all exchanged contact info with the two girls before everybody started getting their things together to head out. Honoka's phone rang once again and she could already figure what this would be about. She put a finger to her lips to signal everybody to be quiet.

"Hello? Hime-chan? … Yeah, we killed it. Actually, I got help from an old friend, a retired demon slayer. … Mm, she's the daughter of one of the Heads, the old heir to the Moon. Anyways, let me guess… Yeah that's what I figured. …Mm. We'll get right on it." Honoka put her phone away and sighed.

"Something wrong?" Nico asked.

"Eh? Not really. We just have a job to do. It's fine since we were leaving anyways."

"Wha? You're going to fight a demon in that condition?" Maki asked incredulously. "You're in no shape to be fighting right now. Right?" She looked to her friends in support and the other girls nodded. Honoka looked down and sighed.

"You're telling me, Maki-chan. Unfortunately, it's not up to me. I don't know how it works for someone who was born into a family of demon slayers… but for us who happened to absorb demon blood and are forced to become demon slayers… we just have to obey orders." Honoka turned toward the door and began walking along with Hanayo who waved her goodbyes. "Besides, I don't like the idea of demons killing innocent people."

With that, the two ran out. All of the girls just stared at the doorway, most still speechless from the information they had received.

Honoka had brought what was left of her hoodie but when she looked at it, she figured she would have to buy a new one, but it would have to do for now and she put on the torn up hoodie as best she could. The hood was undamaged and that was really all that mattered.

"H-Honoka-chan, are you really sure you can fight like that?"

"I don't really have a choice, do I? Honestly, it hurts like hell. I feel like I might faint from the pain. My back wasn't recovered from my last injury fully. I really should have taken another elixir." She lamented before grabbing Hanayo's hand to help her keep up.

"I-I'm pretty sure it's dangerous to take too many elixirs!"

"I'm sorry, Hanayo-chan, but geez does it hurt!"

The two continued running off, until they reached one of the shadier looking areas. By the time they had run all that way, the sun was beginning to set. A good thing for them since they had to worry less about being seen.

They came up to an old abandoned school building, vines and various other plants growing along it. The place looked like it would fall apart if you just punched the wall. The two opened the gate and slowly made their way on the grounds.

"Hanayo-chan." Honoka closed her eyes.

"Mm. I offer my heart."

Honoka's katana appeared in her hands and they walked into the building, the door nearly coming off the hinges as they pushed it open. A rattling on the floor above them led them to the stairs. Honoka made sure she was in front of her friend, but since she had to use Hanayo's eyes, the girl couldn't stay too far behind her. They slowly moved through the hallway, looking in each classroom. Most were torn up and had graffiti staining the walls and chalkboards. A few desks remained, flipped or broken.

Their attention was drawn by that rattling sound again and a much more… disgusting sound. Something tearing. And they both knew what it was before looking. Hanayo peeked into the classroom, Honoka staying right next to her. And they saw exactly what they feared. A large humanoid demon with disgusting, almost rotted blue skin that seemed to sag in various places. Its claws were digging into the body a deceased girl around their age.

Honoka took a step into the classroom, her hand on her katana, ready to end this thing's miserable life with one swing. And sure enough the demon turned at the sound of her footstep and she saw those black eyes that she detested so much. Those alone were enough to make her cringe and she tightened her grip on the hilt.

"I really will never get used to seeing your disgusting kind. Ending the life of girl who had so much to live for… It's unforgiveable."

"H-Help… me… he… lp… me…"

"What…?" Her eyes drifted towards the girl's lifeless body. There was no way she could speak, she's definitely dead. Even her heart had been torn out by that point. But then… Honoka's eyes widened and they moved back to the demon who's mouth, dripping with blood and fragments of flesh, opened and spoke in the girl's voice.

"Help… me…" No, it wasn't speaking in her voice. Those were the girl's last words and the demon kept repeating them as if mocking the girl's desperation.

"You… You… Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." Honoka dashed forward. "Whiteout." The demon managed to pick up on what she was doing as it managed to mostly dodge the move, but she took off two of the claws, making the beast cry out in pain. A guttural, disgusting cry that sent a shiver up her spine.

She jumped back, avoiding a swipe from its claw, but to her surprise, the beast was suddenly matching her speed, already readying its claw by the time she landed. Honoka drew her katana and managed to deflect the claw, but the force of the attack pushed her back several feet.

_This strength…_

Holding up its hand, the beast once again opened its mouth, letting out that voice that Honoka was dreading hearing. "Help… me…" And a purple fire enveloped the clawed hand and condensed into a small ball in the center.

"Demon magic!" Hanayo called out. "Honoka-chan, get back!"

"What are you talking about, Hanayo-chan? A demon this weak using magic? I'll just go through it." She sheathed her katana and tightened her grip on the hilt. "Four seasons, summer style, 3rd blade."

The fire erupted from the demon's claw, burning the ground beneath it, an intense wave of heat bursting over the girls, Hanayo barely able to keep her eyes on the thing in the face of that intense heat. She was almost sure that the two would be burned to a crisp, but knew she had to trust in her friend.

Honoka took one step forward before vanishing, appearing to the side of the demon. "Heat wave." And the fire that was previously bursting forth was dispersed with a delayed slash of her katana and, with it, the arm the demon had used was cut in half.

**GRAHHHHHHHHHHH!**

"Four seasons, spring style, 1st blade." As the demon turned to swipe at her with its other claw, she merely turned around the claw and took a step past the demon. "First bloom." And the demon's back exploded into blood.

It fell to the ground with a thud and Honoka sighed. She broke the connection with her friend and walked over to the torn-up girl. She reached down and closed her the girl's eyes with a sigh.

"Maybe if we had been sooner…" She shook her head. "Let's go, Hanayo-chan. We can call the cleanup crew on the way back."

"Honoka-chan!"

Normally, Honoka would immediately jump away at the warning, but as she prepared to, a sudden pain in her back made her stumble. She turned, but her connection with Hanayo was already broken, so she couldn't see what was coming at her.

"F-Four seasons, winter—"

_No. There's no way I'll make it in time. Even without seeing it, with that warning, it was already preparing an attack. Maybe I can turn, take the hit in a nonfatal spot._

She tried to turn, hoping the demon would slash her arm and not her back or chest, both of which at this point would most likely prove lethal.

"Ahaha, come on, Four Seasons! Sound style, 2nd blade, First harmony." A figure jumped through the door, right past Hanayo and Honoka. Hanayo could see her go right past the demon whose claw was mere inches from her friend's face. And the demon was cut into small pieces, falling apart.

"Eh? T-Tsubasa-san?"

The figure turned to look at her and held out her hand.

"It's been a while, Honoka-san."

* * *

**Combat Tsubasa now. And we had combat Maki last chapter. Fun, huh?**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	6. Tsubasa & Setsuna

**Hono Hono.**

* * *

"Ah, you really saved me back there, Tsubasa-san."

"No need for honorifics. And it was nothing. I sensed a demon around and came to investigate, wondering if anybody was already subduing it. I haven't seen you in quite some time, but I have heard rumors of you from HQ. You're kinda famous right now, you know."

The three girls sat in a small café on a small side street. Night had already come, so the two were less worried about being recognized, so Honoka had ditched her torn up hoodie. It would probably only draw attention in that condition anyways.

Tsubasa took a sip of her tea, eyeing the two girls with a smile.

"Famous? Me? Ehhh? Some demon told me I'm famous among the demons too. Why am I famous among the demon slayers too?" She rested her head on the table already feeling exhausted.

"Well, you did master the Four Seasons in a year. That's something that deserves praise. As far as the higher ups are concerned, you're a prodigy. It's especially amazing since you weren't raised as a demon slayer, so you had no experience with swordsmanship prior to a year ago."

"Well, that's true but…" She sighs and lifts her head up. "Anyways, I had no idea you're a demon slayer, Tsubasa. And you're the heir to Sound?"

"Mm. That's right. However, despite what I said before, I am like you. I became a demon slayer in middle school after being attacked by a demon. However, I wasn't very seriously injured, but I did get demon blood in me. So it wasn't that hard to pass my injury off as a kind of accident. That's why I still live a normal life."

Honoka had to admit, she was kind of jealous of that. All she wanted was to return to her old lifestyle, or at least to a new one where she could still freely interact with her friends and family. Tsubasa got off as lucky as a demon slayer can really get.

"I wish I could go back to those times." Honoka admitted. "We're dead to the world though, just like many demon slayers. So, I'm a little jealous, I guess."

"Have you sent a request to HQ about it?"

"We did a long time ago, but it was immediately shot down. Then again, we have the daughter of one of Heads who said she'd talk with her mom about it."

"Oh, Nishikino Maki, right? When I heard her name back in the day, I figured she might be related to Nishikino-sama. I thought it might be awkward to ask when I was reporting in, so I never did though."

"Mm. I never knew she was a demon slayer if even for a bit. To boot, she was the heir to the Moon. I've never heard of an heir abandoning their position. Isn't choosing an heir supposed to be some great decision where we're expected to dedicate our lives to it? Then again…" She sighed. "I sometimes think Master chose me on a whim, so I'm not even sure I can relate."

Tsubasa reached over and flicked Honoka on the forehead eliciting an, "Ouch!" from her and she rubbed her forehead looking like a puppy that was just hit by its owner.

"Now, now, Honoka. I've been in contact with Seira-san many times. She does nothing but brag about you at meetings with the higher ups. Stuff like 'I knew she was the one! From that day, I knew it!'"

"That day…" Honoka tried to think back to the day, a year ago, when her master had chosen her.

* * *

_Honoka sighed, staring up the white ceiling, wondering when she would be able to see the sun again. Apparently, her body would be sensitive to the sun for another week or so, so she hadn't seen it in the meantime. In the last few weeks, so many things had been told to her. She had survived a demon attack, absorbed demon blood, and would be forced to become a demon slayer._

_And because of that, she had spent the last few weeks getting used to her body again. Her strength had increased as well as her speed, which made things feel off to her. Just basic movements took her a bit get used to again and learning to manage her strength was awkward._

_After she had gotten used to that, she was immediately told that she would start her training to become a demon slayer. Apparently, their ranks are relatively thin, so they're desperate for more. So, Honoka had been working with some trainers to teach her basic swordsmanship. But she was barely able to pay attention. She wasn't allowed to see Hanayo yet, as they would both be undergoing special training and that upset her more than anything._

_But she still stood in that white room, slicing apart practice dummies with her Demonbrand. There was literally nothing else for her to do, so she spent a lot of time doing these practice routines. And she found herself improving, but she barely acknowledged it because of how miserable she was. She was promised she would get a higher degree of freedom soon, but it hadn't happened yet._

_She sighed and sheathed her katana, looking up at the glass observation room where… well, she could see the usual few men and women there, observing her training. But she also saw a girl she had never seen before, a girl with dark hair pulled into a ponytail. The girl was speaking with somebody she recognized as one of the "Heads" of this organization, the man who had greeted her when she had first awoken there._

_Honoka didn't realize she was staring, and the girl must have felt something as she suddenly turned and looked down at her. Honoka just stared back, a blank stare that didn't even convey curiosity. But the girl smiled and turned, saying something to the Head once again before walking away with him. Honoka looked back at the target dummies again and drew her katana, beginning those routines once again._

_Right after she started, the doors to the room opened and that girl from before walked in along with the Head and a few bodyguards, each wielding a katana at their hip. The man stopped only a few feet in, but the girl walked to stand right in front of Honoka._

"_Your Demonbrand is beautiful. Ah, I guess introducing myself comes first, right? I'm Kazuno Seira, the current Master of the Four Seasons. Well… that might not mean anything to you yet, right? I'm not quite sure of your demon slayer knowledge yet."_

_Honoka said nothing but shoved her katana back in her sheath and tilted her head as if to ask if that was all. Seira couldn't help but laugh and turned to the man standing near the doorway._

"_Has this girl undergone any practical training yet?"_

"_Not yet. She has only just finished the basics."_

"_That's fine then." She turned back to the girl. "How about we have a practical training session right now? You must be bored of striking these targets, right?"_

_Though Honoka didn't say anything, she moved back a few steps, drew her katana, and held it at the ready, inviting her opponent. Seira smirked at that and drew her katana._

"_I won't use any blades, of course. So, let's keep this somewhat fair."_

"_Use them if you want." She was surprised to hear the girl's voice, quiet and devoid of emotion. But because of that, she didn't sense a prideful reason for that comment. It was more as if she really just didn't care._

"_Haha. Well, let's see how it goes without them first." Seira summoned her katana to her side, placing her hand on the hilt. Her opponent didn't move, still in the same position, waiting for Seira to approach._

_And sensing that there was no way the girl would make the first move, Seira moved in, holding back her speed so her movement would still be visible to the girl. Honoka's eyes barely followed her, she noticed. And so, she quick stepped to the side and swung her sword at the girl from a position she couldn't see. But Honoka took a step back and brought her sword in low, swinging it up and easily deflecting the katana of her opponent. Of course, Seira had held back, but she was surprised to see the precision of her defense._

_Honoka didn't attack though. She just brought the katana back to a neutral position, waiting for her opponent to approach again._

"_Your movement is good. I'm surprised you can control your movement so well even though it's only been a few weeks since you've had demon blood enter your body."_

"_I'm sure you were holding back, but that movement was too slow." Honoka spoke up, her voice still quiet and neutral. "My senses could see that attack ages before it reached me. And my body can react so fast now that it's no trouble to block it."_

"_Hmm. Well, in that case, how about we test the limit of those senses?" Seira smirked and sheathed her katana. "Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." She vanished from Honoka's vision. But the girl figured that she would go for an attack straight on and immediately moved to the side, bringing her katana in close and shoving it outward and up. Seira appeared in her vision once again, Honoka's sword at the perfect angle to deflect that sword away, but Seira turned her sword at the last second, brought it back close to her and swung up connecting with Honoka's katana and sending it flying away._

_Honoka looked to where her sword fell, recalled it to her hand, sheathed it and the sword vanished._

"_Well, that was a given. If that's all… I'm going back to my room."_

"_Ah, not so fast!" Seira grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "You've got some good skill for someone so new. As you said, I held back as much as I could, so it normally wouldn't be that impressive, but you've only just picked up a sword. For you to be able to deflect that first move and even predict my blade, that's not to be taken lightly."_

"_Let me go."_

"_Besides, I like those eyes of yours." Honoka narrowed her eyes as she looked at the bothersome girl. "Eyes that look as if they've given up but still cling to some distant hope."_

_Honoka tugged her arm away and started to walk towards the door._

"_Hey, you! At least give me your name!"_

_She stopped for a brief second to turn and say, "Kousaka Honoka", and continued on her way._

"_Honoka-chan! I swear I'll come back for you! So, keep up your training!"_

_As Honoka left the room she could hear the girl yelling in the distance._

"_I swear, it has to be her! Honoka! I'll make you the heir to the Four Seasons, I swear!"_

* * *

"I still don't get it. There were plenty of trainees at the time who were much more promising. But, after just defending against one of her moves she told me that I should be the heir to the Four Seasons. And well, a week later she did come back and I gave in, agreeing to train under her. And… I don't regret that decision." Honoka smiled, remembering all the good memories she had at her master's side.

"Haha. I don't think it's about you being 'promising' per se. At least, not in the conventional way a demon slayer could be promising. After all, Seira-san had turned down countless students before you, including ones from distinguished families and ones that were thought to be incredibly gifted. Though you are gifted, she must have seen something in you, something that she liked."

Honoka had thought about it before but could never come up with anything unique about her. The only thing she had done was master all the blades of the Four Seasons, but any demon slayer could have done that she figured.

"Though I said that I defended against that move… she later told me that she knew I would be her heir the second we met eyes. If that's not 'on a whim', then what is?" She laughed it off. "Not like it really matters though. I'm the heir now anyways, so she won."

"Haha. Well, like I said, I'm sure she had her reasons." Tsubasa took out her phone and her eyebrows raised before she sighed. "Well, it looks like I have an actual job now. It was nice getting to speak with you again, Honoka. And nice seeing you again, Hanayo-san." She slid a piece of paper across the table. "If you're ever bored or need help, call me. I'm pretty much permanently stationed in Japan, anyways."

With that she walked out the café, surely off to kill some shitty low-level demon.

"I guess we should get going too, Hanayo-chan. Ah, my back is really killing me. When do we get a paid vacation?"

"I don't think we do." Hanayo replied with a giggle. "Besides, knowing you, you would still train on days off, just like Seira-san used to make you."

"It's force of habit, not because Master told me to." Honoka said, pouting. "Besides, if I want to keep improving, I have to keep practicing, right? In case Maki-chan can't convince her mom, we need to hurry up and raise our rank so we can get more freedom. Though… I don't know if we'll ever be granted the freedom to be 'alive' again."

The other girl just nodded and the two left the café, heading back to their apartment. Or at least, that's what should have happened. Instead they were stopped by the sound of metal hitting metal from the alley right outside the place. Luckily there were no people close enough to hear, but if it kept up, the workers in the café were bound to come check it out.

They ran around the corner to see Tsubasa with her sword drawn fighting a figure wearing a dark hoodie. Their moves were fast, inhumanly so. Honoka noticed the other person was also wielding a katana, one she could only assume to be a Demonbrand as well given the figures insane speed.

"Hanayo-chan, stay back." Honoka summoned her katana to her side and gripped the hilt tightly, looking for an opponent between the two fighting. "Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." She vanished from Hanayo's sight, slipping right past Tsubasa and coming out on the other side of the figure. "Whiteout."

The hoodie was immediately torn off the figure, revealing long black hair and dark eyes, a smile remaining on the girl's face as she turned to look at the girl who had landed the hit.

"Oh, that's quite the speed. You're Four Seasons? I don't mind sparring with you, but I'm in the middle of fighting Sound right now." This girl seemed almost happy that Honoka had landed the hit but didn't look surprised in the least.

"I would have preferred you introduce yourself first. After all, I wasn't aware that this is sparring since you attacked me out of the blue without saying anything."

"Ahaha, my bad!" She shrugged as if it didn't matter. "We're all fellow demon slayers, right? I just wanted to test out exactly how this generation of demon slayers is doing! Let's see, I already fought with the heir to Wind, Lightning, Void, and a few others. Honestly, most of them were unimpressive. The heir to Void was the only one who beat me, but that style is so hard to deal with, you know?"

"I can't say. I've never seen Void style before." Honoka shrugged. "Either way, I'd rather you don't attack my friends or I. Please leave."

"What do you mean? I have two promising individuals of this generation. Sound is already high ranked despite her age and you, Four Seasons, are talked about so much that I can't help but want to fight you at least once!" She pointed her katana at the former idol. "So, let's just have a go, okay? Just for fun! I won't actually hurt you or anything.

A long sigh escaped Honoka's mouth.

"Really, I just want to go home. But if you insist, then I'll take you on. But isn't it rude not to introduce yourself? After all, you seem to know us pretty well. Or at least our styles."

"Eh? Did I not introduce myself? Hmm…" She seemed to think deeply, a little too deeply, about the situation. "Ah, well, if you can knock my katana from my hand, I'll give you my name. Gives you a little motivation, right? And that's usually how duels are decided between demon slayers anyways." Honoka thought back to when she disarmed her master, but she had still been flipped.

"Fine, fine. Tsubasa, I'll handle this one."

"Ehhhh? You can both come at the same time, you know? It won't bother me."

"Sounds good to me." Tsubasa said with a smirk. "I don't think I'm underestimating you, but I can guarantee, even if you can block some hits, you can't beat both of us at the same time. But, well, if that's what you want."

"Come at me, then, fellow demon slayers! Show me what your true styles really are!" She held her katana at the ready, laughing and bouncing on her feet.

"Sound style, 6th blade." Tsubasa jumped at her.

"Four seasons, winter style, 5th blade." Honoka vanished.

"Haha, that's it! Just like that! I love seeing you guys so pumped up! Now then… Devour style, 3rd blade." She prepared her blade first for the girl jumping at her, but Honoka appeared in front of her, aiming her sword at Tsubasa. She winked at her friend and Tsubasa continued her descent without budging. The dark-haired girl almost changed her posture to strike at the girl in front of her but as soon as Tsubasa was about to slash Honoka with her sword Honoka vanished from sight, leaving the girl in an awkward position of having her sword halfway between stances. Tsubasa brought her blade down.

"Resounding notes."

"Full open."

They both spoke their blades at the same time, but the black-haired girl's sword suddenly moved positions. No, it's not that it moved positions. From Tsubasa's view, it was approaching her from two directions at the same time. She couldn't tell if one of them was just an after image, so she went with her gut and swung her blade at the original one. But then Honoka appeared above and behind the girl, her sword at the ready.

"Shimmer."

And she swung her sword. Then, to the shock of both girls, her sword clashed with Tsubasa's, but at almost the same time, it also clashed with Honoka's without the girl even turning around. But despite that surprise, that wasn't the end of Tsubasa's blade. Her blade sent vibrations through the sword of her opponent and she could see that the girl wasn't expecting that. The vibrations were so fierce that she had to loosen her grip on her sword slightly or risk her hands going numb.

At that moment, Honoka vanished again and appeared far above them. "Four seasons, winter style, 4th blade." She vanished from sight. The black-haired girl took that moment to recover from the vibrations and take a step back, but Tsubasa allowed her no time to recover, still pushing her blade forward and still sending vibrations through her opponent's katana.

"Devour style, 2nd blade…"

Before she could finish her blade, she stopped. Not only was her blade stuck in a defensive position from Tsubasa's push, but Honoka appeared next to her at that moment, crouched low and her sword pointed at the girl's throat.

There was a moment of silence where none of the girls spoke, but the black-haired girl finally loosened her grip on her sword fully and Tsubasa drew hers back, sheathing it. Honoka stood and did the same.

"Well, looks like you really did beat me, ahaha. Devour style really isn't fit for fighting two opponents anyways." Despite her loss, the girl didn't look dejected at all. In fact, she was as energetic as ever. She sheathed her katana and let it vanish. "Ah, that was fun. Thanks, Sound, Four Seasons. I guess I still need to sharpen my senses before going against other demon slayers."

"Ahhh." Honoka sighed. "Well, at least introduce yourself. And you can call us by name and not our styles." Before she even finished that last part, the girl was already waving it off as if the mere notion was absurd.

"I'm Yuuki Setsuna, heir to the Devouring Sword. Nice to meetcha!" She gave them a little salute and turned around to walk away.

"E-Eh? That's it?" Honoka asked incredulously.

"Hm? I mean, I did say that I just wanted to spar, right? Next time let's have some one on one's! My Devour style won't lose to you guys in a one on one!"

With that, before the other two girls could even say anything, Setsuna ran down the alley, disappearing from sight.

"What… just happened…?" They both mumbled at the same time.

* * *

**Thought I would use some Nijigasaki girls.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	7. Kazuno Seira I

**Most of this chapter is going to be a flashback. Have fun with combat Hono.**

* * *

**Flashback**

"Even though you've mastered the basics, you still have a long way to go. If you let yourself get cocky over mastering the basics, then you'll get sloppy when you learn your first blade. If you get cocky over mastering one blade, you'll get sloppy learning the second. Always remain focused and dedicate yourself to everything you pursue, Seira."

Master used to always say this to me. Even when I mastered all of the winter blades, he would tell me this while I learned the spring blades, and after mastering those he would tell me again while I learned the summer blades, and again with autumn. I followed this advice believing it to be some of the best advice I've ever received. After all, after his passing, I became the new Master of the Four Seasons.

While Master's death did sadden me, he would always go on and on about how he's too old to be teaching someone so young and how he would die soon anyways. But he would always end those thoughts with a smirk my way as if to say, "Don't get cocky, I don't plan on passing anytime soon". I found myself missing that joking after his passing. I miss his instructions, complaining at the slightest misstep.

When I had mastered the first three styles, he would always tell me that I would learn autumn style "sometime" but never elaborated. In fact, it took me ages of begging before he finally gave in and told me that he would teach me.

"Honestly, I don't think this style should be passed on. I intended to end the autumn style with my death, but since you're so adamant, I'll put the decision in your hands. After you learn it, you'll have to decide whether or not to pass it on to your successor. But just promise me one thing…"

"Master?" I'll never forget that far off look he had. I'm sure he was thinking about the reason why he hated this style so much. I would never be told the reason why until a letter that he left behind after his death. But, that's for another time. After an excruciating minute of silence, he simply told me…

"Promise me… that you'll never use it on another human."

That's right. The autumn style was not developed with the intention of killing demons but killing other demon slayers. I kept this in mind as I practiced those blades every day, but they were the most difficult to learn. I only mastered the last autumn blade two years before Master's passing. On his death bed, I told him…

"Master, I will pass all you've given to me to my successor. I know you hate the autumn blade, but please… think of this as my parting gift." I gripped that cold hand so tightly and he only smiled at me, making me cry for the first time since I became a demon slayer. "Master…"

"Nothing has made me happier than teaching you, Seira. Thank you… for being with me these past years." Those were his last words and they made me cry harder than I believed that any words could. And no matter how much time passed, I would never forget those words.

Long before his death, my Master would always tell me to choose a successor carefully. After all, it would be a terrible thing to just kick one out after. He truly believed that picking a worthy successor was the most important job a master had. I pondered over his words for a long time, even before his death, thinking about exactly I want to see in a successor. But I couldn't come up with anything.

So, for years, I never chose one. If I had died during that time, the Four Seasons would have been lost forever. And for a while, I believed they would be. Following my Master's words, I never picked an heir "just because". I knew I was looking for something, but I wasn't sure what. I saw many promising demon slayers come out of training, ones who any master would kill for. Many students approached me, asking to inherit the Four Seasons, but I always turned them down. For some reason I just knew… that none of them were right for it.

Long after all other masters of my generation had chosen heirs, I still wandered the world, killing demons and looking for the one who would eventually succeed me. Honestly, I was pretty much ready to give up. That was until that day.

I had planned on going to HQ for a regular report, but Tsudoji-san happened to be at a different branch, so I decided to go there directly to give my report instead of waiting for him to return. Apparently, he had been at this branch for a few weeks. Usually he liked to keep his visits to branches short, so this already raised some red flags. I was hoping nothing was wrong with him, but when I arrived, he simply said, "I've just been observing a new trainee."

That's it? He stayed here to observe some random trainee? Well, it's not unheard of for a Head to take interest in certain students. I believe one of the Heads had an interest in the heir to Void before she was even chosen as the heir. He gave me a small tour of the branch while I gave him my report. The place wasn't anything special. It had all the necessary equipment to train new demon slayers, but the technology was fairly lacking compared to HQ.

We passed through an observation room, one meant for the higher ups to father data on the new guys as they trained. But, strangely enough, there was only a single girl in the room. At first, I gave her nothing but a glance before continuing my report, but I saw something in Tsudoji-san's eyes, a glimmer, as if he was looking into the future.

I turned to look at this girl and, well honestly, her movement was stunning. I'm not even sure I would say she's more "skilled" or even "better" than other trainees I saw, but her movement captivated me. The way she moved her sword, the fluency between hits, the lack of hesitation in her swings. Watching her swings made me feel as if a gentle wind was caressing me. I shook myself out of it and turned back to Tsudoji-san, finishing my report. But then I felt it, the stare from down there. And sure enough, when I turned, that girl was looking up at me with listless eyes. No, not listless. I could see something deeper, a shimmer of hope.

I'm sure this girl was like every other demon slayer who got caught up in this mess. She was probably attacked and then brought here, told that she has no choice but to become a demon slayer. And if she's still in this room… then she would only have been there for a few weeks at most. They moved trainees to more open ground once they had the basics down. She had probably drawn her Demonbrand less than three hundred times. Then why was I so captivated by her?

"Tsudoji-san, I want to go talk to that girl."

Despite the strange request, he led me down some stairs to the entrance of that room. I walked through and caught the end of one of her strikes. Once again, I was captivated. She could be… no. Not _could_. I truly believed in that moment that she was the only person in the world that I could pass the Four Seasons onto. In fact, I knew it before that. When I met eyes with her, I knew it. This was fate. For all circumstances to lead me to this branch of HQ, to a time when this girl was training.

It has to be her. This is the new heir to the Four Seasons!

I had Tsudoji-san let me do a bit of practical training with her and my breath was stolen away. This girl had only wielded a Demonbrand for a week and, despite seeming relatively unresponsive, she deflected my first strike as if it was nothing. My heart pounded when I saw her katana hit mine. This is it! This is what I've been looking for! I've sparred with so many trainees, but none of them made me feel this way! My adrenaline was pumping after just one hit of hers!

My favourite blade came next, the fastest blade in the winter style, Whiteout. Of course, I held back with this attack also, not wanting to cause her any harm. But when I used it, she predicted it! I know for a fact that she couldn't see me with the speed I used, but she perfectly backstepped and repositioned herself to parry my katana. I changed my grip at the last second and knocked her sword away, but she wasn't even phased by that.

Ah, those eyes! That voice! Her swings! Everything!

Yes, this girl who I would soon find to be named Kousaka Honoka… I had only one thought at that time.

'Kousaka Honoka, I'll make you my heir no matter what!'

* * *

Even though Honoka agreed to become my heir, it didn't mean I could just take time off. Demon slayers are relatively few in numbers, so I have to continue to do my part. Until her friend was done training, I trained her in Japan, but soon enough the three of us were travelling the world together. I took mostly foreign tasks, so I was sent all over to the world, anywhere with a shortage of demon slayers and an abundance of demons.

I trained her somewhat unconventionally. Knowing her skill, I had much of her practice be on actual demons as opposed to targets. She mastered blades incredibly fast, faster than I've ever known someone too. After being reunited with Hanayo, she regained some of that light in her eyes, but the two still seemed almost perpetually miserable. Even so, she trained under me without questioning my methods.

In terms of the time I spent teaching, it took her no time to master the first three seasons. By the time it came to teach her autumn, she was back to what I imagined her old self was like. She always seemed happy and upbeat, joking around with Hanayo and I regularly. Hanayo had recovered too. She was soft spoken, but I think she's always been like that. We had many good times together, travelling the world, teaching Honoka her blades, experiencing everything we could. I never imagined having an heir could be this fun and fulfilling.

But soon Honoka was questioning me on why I hadn't taught her autumn yet. And why hadn't I? I had bothered Master for so long until he finally taught me, so why did I feel hesitant to teach them to her? Master had given me the choice of whether or not to teach them. Every time I looked at Honoka, I knew that I never wanted to see the day she had to kill another human, demon slayers included. If autumn was meant to kill humans, then why would I teach it to her? The other three seasons should be plenty enough for her.

After weeks of her begging, I finally gave in. I saw myself in her in that moment. I had begged Master for so long until he finally gave in and taught me. And I guess I'm like him in that way. Maybe this is the way he felt. Not annoyed, but almost happy. My heir wanted to master autumn no matter what.

And so, I taught her. Just like me, she took significantly longer to master the autumn blades than the others. But even then, she mastered them fast than I had. I don't like to use the word "prodigy" lightly, but this girl was a prodigy the likes of which the demon slayer world would probably never see again. In less than a year she was able to master all twenty blades of the Four Seasons. And, unlike some heirs, she never became lazy. Every day I would see her practicing a style, honing it until she believed she had absolutely mastered it and then practiced it some more.

One day, when we were leaving the United States to head to South Korea, I spoke with her in private for a bit. She had never used autumn other than training and… for some reason, I felt like that was right.

"Honoka. I know this will sound like a selfish request, but… Don't use autumn. For now. See how far your other styles can take you. I told you before, but autumn was never meant for killing demons, but for killing people. There is no reason to use those blades."

"Master…" I could see something in her eyes, but to my surprise, it wasn't disappointment. It was absolute trust. "If that's what you want, Master." She smiled at me and I felt my heart break a little. There was no reason for me to push my selfishness on her. And I had even set the hurdle higher than my Master did.

Really… what am I doing?

* * *

"Alright, Honoka. Let's have a match."

"Ehh? Why now, though?"

"You'll be on your own soon. I've taught you pretty much everything I can, so you'll soon be thrown into this chaotic world with only Hanayo-chan at your side. I need to make sure you're ready for that world."

After a little bit of arguing back and forth, she finally agreed to the match. Not like she had much of a choice anyways. I would have forced her to fight me here. I really did want to evaluate how she had grown. It had been a long time since I had her come at me seriously. Honoka was talented, but she still lacked some battle sense. Sometimes she could flawlessly transition between blades and sometimes she took too long to chain them together and would end up leaving herself open for an attack.

"Come at me seriously. You can use everything at your disposal except for autumn. Now, come!" We both summoned our katanas to our sides and placed our hands on the hilts, waiting for the other to make a move. I remembered the day I had met her, and I almost laughed at how different this was. That look in her eyes from back then was gone, her hope reclaimed somewhat. A fiery passion burned in her eyes, but she kept a straight face, her eyes focused solely on me, her target.

"Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." She vanished from my vision and I smiled, thinking about how much she's grown. But that wasn't the time to be thinking and I quickly sidestepped, preparing my own blade.

"Four seasons, winter style, 5th sword." Winter was my domain, my favourite of the four styles. For her to come at me with that meant she really was taking this seriously. Because it was my favoured style, I poured more time than any of the others in helping her to master it.

Honoka appeared to my right instead of straight on though, her blade coming in fast. "Whiteout." But I had already vanished from her sight long before the blade had a chance of reaching me. "Four seasons, spring style, 5th blade." Appearing above her, I swung my sword down. "Shimmer." But in the time, it had taken me to appear with Shimmer, she was already prepared with a blade of her own.

"Spring breeze." Just as I had taught her, she gently led my blade astray from its path and, in the blink of an eye, reversed the direction of her sword and swung it out at my face. She almost caught me, but I leaned back, letting the blade pass just an inch above my head and then threw myself forward launching into a run. "Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." I turned immediately and vanished, using that fast move, hoping to see her react in another creative way. And she didn't let me down.

"Four seasons, summer style, 3rd blade."

"Whiteout." I spoke as I reached her, my sword set towards her stomach, lower than I would normally aim for. But Honoka seemed prepared even for that as she threw herself to her knees in an instant, moving her head forward and down, right under my blade. "Heat wave." And she swung her sword from that position, a position that left me in no place to use my sword to counter. Ah, she had grown so much to think of something like this on the fly.

But I kicked up, knocking her sword to equal height with mine and, with a slight adjustment, I swung my katana to the side, intending to knock hers out wide. In the midst of that fight, I hadn't even heard her utter the words to her next blade, but she vanished as soon as my katana made contact with hers, leaving me overbalanced as she appeared behind me. "Shimmer." And she stabbed for my back.

This was exactly the kind of fight I was hoping for! I corrected my balance and jumped immediately after she vanished, granting myself less than a second to prepare as she appeared again, aiming for where my back was. "Four seasons, summer style, 5th blade." I stab downwards with my sword, thinking to force her into a defensive position before pushing. "Summer shower."

But Honoka rolled forward, bringing her sword back to her hip and I realized my mistake. I'm stuck in the air and she's in the perfect position for an attack. "Four seasons, spring style, 2nd sword." She dashed forward and I knew she had even outsmarted my prediction. I had assumed she would use Whiteout, which would seem like a guaranteed hit, but it's just one attack. The chances of me being able to block that were high. But this blade had too many attacks for someone suspended in air to block accurately.

This looked like a perfect opportunity to show her just how much you can hone a blade. Spring breeze is normally used to misdirect one attack while launching a counter, but once you've mastered it, you can do much more. "Four seasons, spring style, 5th blade." Honoka passed by me with her sword launching hundreds of small strikes all around me. "Spring breeze." But I quickly and deliberately moved my sword to give a slight block or a slight misdirect to every single strike. As she landed, realizing not a single one of her strikes had hit, I launched into normal swordplay.

We moved back and forth, neither of us using our blades, just pure slashes and thrusts. I broke the routine, testing her reaction speed. "Four seasons, winter style, 5th blade." On our next clash I vanished, but instead of moving around her like Shimmer is normally used, I prepared my next blade while appearing again in the same spot. "Four seasons, winter style, 1st sword." I dashed in and, just like I had hoped, she had already started turning, trying to predict where I would come from.

"Four seasons, spring style, 1st sword." But just as I thought, she had plotted out a course to take even in this event and I saw her turn faster than I expected and felt all of her strikes connect with my sword, sending it flying from my hands. "First bloom."

We both stood there and just stared at each other for a second before I burst into laughter.

"That's good. That's amazing, Honoka. I was using a lot of power during that fight, but you still managed to knock my sword from my hands. Ah, I'm so glad you're my heir." I bring her into a hug and rustle her hair.

"M-Master! Stop it!" She protested, but I continued, eventually turning the rustling into a gentle rub.

"Good job, Honoka."

"Mm. Thank you, Master."

* * *

**Somehow, I accidentally used "sword" a few times instead of "blade" in other chapters. That's fixed now.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	8. Kazuno Seira II

**Just a bit of warning, this one has some slightly mature themes to it, so just keep that in mind.**

**Also, sorry this chapter is so short. I just wanted to finish up the arc on Seira's stuff and there wasn't really a need to make it longer or add unnecessary stuff.**

**Anyways, enjoy.**

* * *

Seira stood on the beach right outside Aomori, looking out over the dark sea, the moonlight reflected off the water giving a serene feeling to the scene. She closed her eyes to feel the cool breeze, wishing she could feel that all the time. Her hand moved to rest on her katana as she turned around.

"What an honour for you to come out to see me without requiring an invitation, Sound."

"Oh my. Can't you just greet me normally, Four Seasons?" A blonde girl around her age walked onto the beach, her voice a melodic symphony that pleased any listener's ears. Seira was sure that if she wasn't careful that voice could convince her of anything.

"Normally, I would. But whenever you come to greet me, you always bring some sort of trouble. Then again, in these times it seems as if everybody only brings troublesome news." A sigh escaped her mouth and she turned back to the sea. "So, what brings you here tonight, Mari?"

"Ah, that's more like it! No need to be formal, Seira-chan!" She moved up behind the girl and wrapped her arms around her. "After all, I haven't been in the scene much in the past two years. I was stationed so far away after all, in Rome for so long. Can't you be a bit more kind?"

Mari reached to caress the cheek of the girl, but Seira didn't budge an inch. She leaned in closer, brushing her lips against her cheek and this time the girl did react, shrugging her off and walking forward. Mari followed, staying a few feet behind her.

"Those times are over, Mari. If that's all you came here for, then leave. I just wanted to take a short break from my investigation, so if you have nothing to say —"

"Void has killed the Fourth Demon Lord."

"…What did you…?" Seira turned around, eyes wide with shock. "The Fourth Demon Lord…? No. Why would you be informing me of this? HQ has sent nothing out to the other masters."

"That's because Void herself informed me of the matter. Void and her heir found the hideout of the Fourth Demon Lord and eliminated him. Just the two of them. Could you believe it? She'll be reporting to HQ soon about it, so you'll receive word."

Seira turned back to the sea, staring off. If the Fourth Demon Lord was defeated, that only left three more. Over thousands of years, only five of the eight original Demon Lords have been killed. And now, the Fourth was killed and they believed they knew the location of the First. For the first time in many years, a ray of hope reached the demon slayers.

"Ha. If this next generation works really hard, they may really be the ones to finally rid the world of demons." She felt the girl's arms wrapping around her again. "Mari…"

But this time when she turned her head to tell t he girl to move, she felt a pair of warm lips come against hers. Soft and moist, those lips pressed into a deeper kiss and, though she tried to move at first, she gave up and relaxed into the kiss. Mari's tongue pushed against her, begging for entrance and she let it in, the girl's tongue twisting with her own, making sloppy sounds that Seira would normally find disgusting if she wasn't so focused on the girl's lips and tongue. Seira turned around fully and brought her hands up, holding the girl's head, pushing her deeper into that kiss. Their heartrates were skyrocketing and Seira could feel an intense heat filling her entire body. It had been so long since she'd held Mari like this. Too long.

They finally broke for air, both of the girls staring into each other's eyes, both with the same desires, but Seira with a bit of hesitance. But when Mari just showed her a smile in response to that hesitance, Seira somehow felt that this was right.

"Come." Mari grabbed her hand and led her off the beach, Seira offering no resistance.

* * *

"Ah… Eh?" Seira sat up, her head groggy. That was some of the best sleep she had gotten in a long time and she started to wonder what was different before she looked down. "Oh, right." She was nude, her clothes discarded on the floor of the villa.

Mari had led them back to her personal villa for their night. Sometimes Seira forgot just how rich that girl had been. And since Mari wasn't dead to the world, she could still flaunt that lifestyle even though she became a demon slayer. She looked at the girl who was still sleeping next to her. She gently brushed some strands of her hair aside and smiled. Normally, she would have just left immediately after waking up in a situation like that, but Seira walked over to the bathroom, threw on a robe and began cooking breakfast.

Even though she had told herself that their relationship was over long ago, before Mari had even been stationed in Rome, she still got dragged back into her ways so easily. She cursed herself for doing so but knew that she still had feelings for the girl, so she ended those thoughts with sigh and began plating the bacon and eggs she had prepared.

"Ah, something smells good!" Mari walked into the room just as Seira placed the two plates at the table. "Your cooking skills haven't degraded in the past two years, I see!" She stuffed he face without reservation and Seira found herself smiling as she picked at her own food while watching the girl she had fallen in love with so long ago.

A small pang in her chest made Seira remember the life she wanted, the one she could have had. Not before becoming a demon slayer, but after. She had found comfort and love in the arms of the Master of Sound, back when the two of them were only heirs. But their love never bore any fruit until they were both masters. But being a demon slayer is a fickle thing. Demon slayers are expected to die fairly early into their life and Seira knew that she couldn't bear the loss of her lover.

"Mari, you know it's pretty much impossible for us to be together now that we're masters, right? There's no telling when one of us will be stationed far away for who knows how long. Besides—"

"Seira." Mari suddenly cut her off. "Even if we're separated by countries, continents, whatever… Just like this time, I'll come and find you." She stood and walked around the table, pulling Seira's chair out to sit on her lap, straddling her. "Because I love you."

As she leaned in, Seira barely managed to get out, "I love you, Mari," before their lips made contact.

* * *

**X years ago**

"Ah, this is my heir, Kazuno Seira." Master had been so energetically talking to a visiting friend who he hadn't seen in a long time, he had forgotten to introduce me even though I stood by his side. It made happy to see him like that.

"Nice to meet you, Seira-chan." The man gave a polite bow, something I wasn't used to receiving, so I simply returned the bow without replying. "I'm the Master of Sound, —"

Ah, so this man is another master. That explains why he was so close to Master. They told me to go ahead and greet his heir who was waiting in the outside training ground while they caught up with me. I didn't have particular desire to listen to their conversation, but I also wasn't really keen on associating with other heirs at this point. My training wasn't done and it's not like I would learn anything from someone who practiced a completely different style.

But I went anyways and saw a young blonde girl around my age, Demonbrand in hand, preparing to strike a target dummy. I sat back for a bit to see just what the heir of Sound was capable of. "Sound style, 6th blade." She moved forward with a surprising amount of speed. "Resounding notes." Her sword struck the target, digging in maybe an inch, but then the entire target dummy exploded from something.

I admit, I was a bit captivated by her moves, but I snapped out of it when she turned and made eye contact with me, looking at me as if I'm some creep peeping on her. I walk forward and give a small bow.

"I'm the heir to the Four Seasons, Kazuno Seira."

"Ohara Mari. Heir to Sound."

Not the talkative kind, I see. This girl felt like she was going to be trouble. Luckily, I thought, after today I would never have to see her again most likely. After all, demon slayers only rarely worked together, usually only when ordered by HQ, according to what Master had told me.

I noticed Mari was holding her sword at the ready as if waiting for me to come, tilting her head in confusion when I just stood there.

"Did you not want to spar? I assumed that's why you were approaching me."

"Eh?" This girl wants to spar with somebody she just met. That's weird, right? Well, it wouldn't hurt. I summoned my Demonbrand to my side. "I guess one bout won't hurt."

"Sound style, 2nd blade." Just as with Master when we trained, she simply vanished from sight. Fighting another demon slayer was all about prediction and being prepared for any situation. If you could predict where your opponent would come from, it was your win. "Four seasons, winter style, 5th blade." I prepared my blade, waiting for the inevitable attack and, just as I thought, she appeared in my blind spot to my left and struck out with her sword. That's why I used my 5th blade, though. "First harmony." I turned to block, but I saw many strikes coming at me at once. I really had prepared the perfect blade for this situation. As soon as the first of those strikes made contact with my sword, I vanished, appearing above her and striking down. "Shimmer."

Instead of dodging, Mari brought her sword up, but not to block. "Sound style, 6th blade." Her sword made contact with mine and I felt my sword begin to vibrate violently, threatening to be blown away. "Resounding notes." So that was what she had used on that target dummy earlier. Something effective no matter what you're fighting, demon or demon slayer. But if that was enough to stop me, I'd be long dead by now.

"Four seasons, spring style… 5th blade…" It was a lot harder than I thought to prepare a blade while making sure my sword didn't go flying from my hands, but I managed it somehow. And I let my momentum carry me downward, the vibrations no longer reaching me as I let my sword just gently slide around hers and down the length. I landed next to her and she turned her sword to swing at me, but I still guided it. "Spring breeze." I pushed her sword out and suddenly reversed the flow of mine and stopped it right before it would have slashed her head.

I pulled my sword back and sheathed it, giving the girl a smile.

"Your movement is beautiful. This is the first time I've fought someone besides Master who could counter me with such precision." Mari seemed upset at the result but put her sword away anyways.

"I guess I still need to practice. But that was fun." She finally showed me a smile and I felt my heartbeat accelerate. Eh? What was this?

"No… problem…"

From that day forward, I would actually end up fighting together with Mari many times and sparring with her even more. And slowly but surely, I would fall for her.

* * *

Seira felt at ease, her lover and her sitting on chairs outside Mari's villa, watching the waves of the ocean in the near distance. Her hand rested on her lover's and she gently moved that hand around, feeling the girl's soft skin. These were the days she had longed for. She had wanted nothing more than to be with Mari like this.

But all of that felt like a distant dream when she felt her phone vibrating. A sigh escaped her mouth as she took it out and answered.

"Hello? Mm. Yeah. Ah, right. I'll take care of it, don't worry. Yeah. Well then, excuse me." She hung up and another long sigh escaped before she stood, turning to look back at Mari who looked up with a knowing smile.

"A job?"

"That's right. Apparently, it's important enough to suspend my investigation for a bit while I take care of it. An A+++ rank demon or something. I'll take care of it quickly so I can get back to my job."

"Ah, well I don't have a job right now, so how about I—?" Mari spoke as she started to stand, but Seira quickly silenced her with a kiss, pushing her back against the wooden railing of the deck. The kiss was short but filled with passion.

"Wait for me." Seira said softly, her hot breath tickling Mari's cheek. "When I'm back we… can talk about our relationship."

"Mm." Mari leaned in for another brief kiss. "I'll wait as long as I have to."

"Thank you, Mari." Seira walked down the steps of the deck and looked out at the ocean one more time. "Well then… I'm off." And without waiting for a response, she vanished from sight.

"Come back soon, Seira."

* * *

**Well that's it for this little arc on Seira's backstory. Weird pairing, huh? I thought so too when writing it.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	9. Takami Chika I

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"Ehhh? A joint operation?" Honoka jumped up from her position on the sofa, scaring the ever-living hell out of Hanayo who was right next to her. "Who? Who? The heir to the Sun? Eh…"

"Is something wrong, Honoka?"

"No, Hime-chan, it's just that… every time I hear about the heir to the Sun, I always hear they're super eccentric and hard to work with…"

That's right. Everybody spoke the name not with contempt but just with… hesitation. Rumors among rumors existed about this girl, Takami Chika, heir to the Sun, and none of them particularly made people want to work with her. Though, for some reason, Honoka had heard that she was always excited to work with others and that she enjoyed company when on jobs. But well, she was leagues above most demon slayers. If Void was the most powerful, Sun was easily the second. After all, despite only being heirs, they were A+++ rank demon slayers, just one rank below S rank.

Honoka swallowed hard, imagining some strange girl. Though she had never personally met Sun, from all the rumors she was dreading going on this next job. But well, their target was an A+ rank demon, so she figured any help would be nice.

Their target was in the countryside, quite a distance from Tokyo, so they would be using a train to get there. Apparently, Sun was already in Tokyo, so she would be meeting them at the station so they could all head there together. It would be a long ride, so they would have some time to talk strategy and at least get to know each other before doing this.

"Heeeeey! Sorry to keep you waiting!" The two looked up to see a fairly ordinary looking girl running their way. Short orange hair and bright eyes, waving wildly as she approached them. "Sorry, sorry. I overslept, ehehe…" She rubbed the back of her head before suddenly standing up straight. "Ah, that's right. I'm Takami Chika, heir to the Sun. Nice to meetcha!"

"Ah, um, I'm Kousaka Honoka, heir to the Four Seasons. And this is my partner, Koizumi Hanayo."

"N-Nice to meet you, Takami-san." Despite the girl seeming relatively normal so far, Hanayo looked like she was sweating bullets, still nervous about something this girl might do or say.

"Ahaha, no need for formality! We're all demon slayers anyways. Chika is fine. Nice to be working with you, Honoka-chan, Hanayo-chan. Ah." She looked around suddenly. "My partner isn't here yet. That's weird. I did tell her the right time, right?"

"You don't live with your partner, Chika?" Honoka asked in confusion.

"Ah, no. I'm dead to the world, but she isn't. So, she still stays with her parents and attends school and whatnot like usual. I just have to pull her out sometimes to take on jobs, you know. Ah, there she is! Heeey! Over here, Riko-chan!"

A red-headed girl ran up to them, bowing and apologizing profusely for keeping them waiting. She introduced herself as Sakurauchi Riko, the eyes for Chika. They all found their train, headed to some place in the middle of nowhere where their job would take place.

The entire way there, Chika pestered Honoka with nonstop questions and all the girl could do was do her best to answer them while signaling Hanayo for help even though she knew her partner wouldn't be able to provide any.

"Chika-chan." Riko reached over and hit Chika on the head. "You're troubling them. I'm sorry about her, you guys. She gets really excited around new people. After all, most people who work with her refuse to do so a second time. It's really troubling for us. All it means is that we end up taking on very hard jobs by ourselves. If only Chika-chan knew a little restraint."

"R-Riko-chan, I'm right here you know…" Chika said sadly while rubbing her head. She sat back and crossed her arms. "Well, either way. You're Four Seasons, right? I've heard a lot of rumors about you recently. You're supposed to be the new upcoming talent in the demon slayer world."

"I don't think I'm anything special though…"

"Nonsense! Your raw talent is amazing! I don't shortchange myself. I'm very powerful, especially compared to the heirs of this generation. However, I trained for years to become this powerful. I've practiced hard every day for many years. But I'm sure if I fought you, we would have a good bout despite you only wielding a sword for a year. It's crazy to think about. That's talent, Honoka-chan. You should be proud of it. Hone it to its utmost form. I really want to see what you can become."

Honoka didn't know what to say to that, so she just looked out the window, watching the landscape pass by. How many times had she heard that kind of thing now? For some reason, everybody was suddenly expecting something of her, and she really didn't know how to deal with it. She trained every day, killed demons a lot, did what she was told. What else could she do? She wasn't aiming to be N rank or S rank or anything like that. All she wanted was her normal life. And she worked hard so that she could hopefully regain some piece of that life.

The rest of the trip was relatively silent. Riko and Hanayo spoke about how it is to be a partner to a demon slayer, so they bonded a bit, which made both of the demon slayers smile. After a few hours of travel and a couple train switches, they arrived at their destination… some small town in the middle of nowhere.

"Where… are we exactly…?" Honoka asked, looking around. Nothing but farmland and mountains surrounded them. They could see people tending to the fields and some kids riding on bikes around dirt roads. "Ah, never mind. The middle of nowhere. Right."

"Well, nothing we can do about it!" Chika said, taking a step forward. "Let's go take a look around at least. If we can't find it today, we'll need a place to stay, so we should at least see if there's a place that'll let us stay. I'd rather not spend the night outside. They did tell us that this job could take a couple of days."

Chika ran off down the road into the town, yelling for everybody to follow her. Riko followed after her, trying to get her to slow down. And Honoka and Hanayo just looked at each other, laughed a bit, and followed her lead.

The town was very small. There was a small grocery store that was likely only fueled by local products, a bookstore, candy shop, and a few other places. Luckily, in their adventure around town, they found the one inn of the town which assured them that there were plenty of rooms available. It was actually a sizeable inn for being in the middle of nowhere. And it had outdoor baths which motivated all of the girls to try harder so they could come back and soak.

And then they began their investigation. They asked around about any strange occurrences and the townspeople told them that a few people had gone missing in the last week and never showed back up. All of the girls shared knowing looks. The people were almost absolutely torn apart by a demon somewhere in the land surrounding the place. However, in the end, that was all they really heard. They took a trek through the fields and the surrounding forests for a while but to no avail. By the time they decided to suspend their investigation, the sun was already dyed red by the setting sun. They all agreed to look around again at night but for now, they all just really wanted to try that bath.

"Ahhh… Heaven…" Honoka let out all of her stress in one sigh as she settled into the outdoor bath. Her muscles immediately relaxed, and she could already tell that getting out of this bath would be harder than all of her training over the last year. "We can just retire and move out here..."

"Ehehe, you sound like an old man, Honoka-chan." Hanayo slowly got in and sat next to her, enjoying the feeling of the hot water. It had been a long time since they were able to relax like this. In the back of her mind, Hanayo couldn't help but feel that this was close to that 'paid vacation' as they would get. They had work to do, but she would never mind work if they got to relax like this more often.

But their peace came to an end as the door to the dressing room slammed open and Chika walked out with not such much as a towel to cover her, hands on her hips, exuding the utmost confidence. Without saying anything at first, she walked over to the washing station and rinsed herself off before moving over to the bath and loudly declaring, "I've come!" before jumping in. That's right, _jumping_ in. Honoka felt that relaxing feeling from before wash away with the hot water that splashed her in the face.

Chika came up from the water and began kicking around as she swam around the bath.

"Chika-chan! No swimming in the bath! And don't jump in next time!" Riko had followed her through the door and seen the ordeal. The two girls could already tell who the beacon of logic in their relationships was and likely the only reason Chika hadn't gotten into trouble with authorities yet. "Sorry you two. She's always like this."

"Don't worry about it, Riko-chan." Honoka called out as the girl was rinsing off. "After all, she looks like she's having a lot of fun." Watching Chika swim around like that, laughing and smiling the whole time, she couldn't help but smile herself. To think she could have that much fun when they're supposed to be on a job.

"I'm glad to hear it." Riko walked over and got in, sitting on the other side of Honoka and breathing a sigh that released all of her pent-up stress. "This is definitely what I needed. How long has it been since I've been lucky enough to come to one of these?"

"I know what you mean~" The two girls replied blissfully.

Darkness was beginning to fill the sky and they knew they would have to head out soon to search for that demon again but… that was the last thing on their minds. The three girls relaxed against the warm stone and Chika laughed and swam, her own way of relaxing they figured. But, of course, they couldn't be granted rest for long.

"Chika!" Riko yelled, standing and pointing into the night sky. "I offer my heart." As if on cue, Chika closed her eyes immediately at her friend's words and Riko knew to immediately share her eyes.

"Hanayo-chan!"

"Mm! I offer my heart."

They all looked into the night sky where they could see something circling overhead. From a distance it almost resembled a normal bird but as it lowered, they could see bones and flesh practically falling off of it. A strange sound kept escaping its mouth, something between the caw of a bird and the scream of a human.

A katana appeared at Chika's side, the sheath a beautiful bright orange, not unlike Honoka's, but with various depictions of the sun along the length. Fitting for her style, truly. And she smirked as she grabbed hold of the hilt and spoke.

"Sun style, 7th blade." The other pair worried a bit about her using a move that could hit it in this situation. After all, they were all in such close proximity. "Sunburst." For a brief second, they could all swear that they saw a flash as the sun itself and when it vanished, they could see the demon in the sky burst into blood. Chika sighed and let her katana disappear. "Well, that's taken care of. Let's enjoy a few more minutes in here before we leave, huh?"

Honoka just looked at her in shock before sitting back down.

"You're really something, Chika."

"Hm? It was nothing, really. It's just like any other blade of any style, just that it's made for reaching far away targets generally." She lowered herself back into the bath and began swimming around again as if nothing had happened. And for her, Honoka figured nothing really had. But for her, she felt like a lot had happened. After all, she didn't even see the girl draw her blade. It was as if she had jumped up to the thing, killed it, and come back down before any of them could even realize what had happened. Honoka hoped that she would never have to seriously fight against this girl.

After they had their fill of the bath, they reluctantly got out and threw their clothes back on. Night was on in full now and they knew the best time to hunt for demons was at night, when they weren't hesitant to roam around. They started with patrolling the town but found nothing. Many people seemed too afraid to even go out at night as most of the streets were completely empty. Honoka couldn't blame them considering there had been a string of missing people. If they knew the true cause they would probably be even more hesitant to leave their houses in the dark.

Next came the forests that surrounded the town but looking for anything in a forest in the middle of the night is next to impossible. Even with their vision being way above average humans due to the demon blood they had received, they could still barely see anything. If the darkness wasn't enough, it was a forest. A demon could be lurking behind any tree and, if it was smart enough to suppress its aura, they wouldn't know until it jumped out at them.

They headed back to town, ready to give up on the search for the night, but they seemed to be in luck. Maybe because they had left to patrol, the demon felt brave enough to finally come out, but Hanayo and Riko saw it. A filthy demon with blue rotting skin that had just finished killing a woman on the side of the road. Poor woman. Wrong place, wrong time. Honoka borrowed her friend's eyes and summoned her katana to her side, ready to strike the demon down, but Chika held a hand in front of her to stop her.

"Chika?"

"This isn't right. That's not the demon we're after. We were assigned to kill an A+ rank demon, but that's obviously just D rank."

"So? We should still kill it before it can claim more victims."

"Normally, I would agree but… look."

The demon picked up the woman's body, not eating it or continuing to shred it and moved off into the dark forest. They all silently followed it, knowing the slightest misstep would lead to them having to kill it right there. After what felt like ages, the demon reached a clearing with a calm lake in the middle. It wasn't a large lake, but sizeable enough to go fishing in. The demon walked up to the shore, the four girls remaining behind brush at the edge of the clearing. The demon dropped the body at the shore and back away, waiting.

And sure enough, the water began to ripple violently before a large serpent raised its head from the water. Well, that's what it seemed like at first. Then several more raised their heads. One of them grabbed at the body and they all began to tear it to shreds tying to eat it.

"That's… a hydra?" Honoka whispered. "I've never heard of one existing in Japan. And the demon is bringing offerings to it? What the hell…?"

"It's not unusual for demons to form that kind of relationship." Chika replied. "There are often circumstances where a powerful demon will promise protection to lower ranked demons if they bring it offerings. It would seem that this hydra is the real reason we were sent here."

"What do you want to…?"

Honoka started to ask, but then, through Hanayo's eyes, she saw the girl sprint out from the brush, laughing into the night air, her katana appearing at her side.

"E-Eh? Chika!?" Honoka ran out to join her, but she soon realized that it wasn't even necessary.

Without even using a blade, she passed by the D rank demon and slashed through its approaching claw, cutting the beast in half. Then she stopped at the shore where the hydra had ceased its meal to regard the girl. In front of that giant beast she looked like an ant, but she exuded such confidence that Honoka couldn't help but believe that she would kill that thing even without her help. Despite that, she continued to run to her side.

"Sun style, 7th blade." She smiled and in an instant, one of the heads of the hydra burst into blood, the entire head practically exploding from her move. "Sunburst." The hydra roared in pain and one of the heads launched at her, but Chika easily dodged, jumping and landing on the head, running along its length until she reached the other heads. "Sun style, 2nd blade." This time, she drew her katana instead of using her blade from the sheath. And in a flash of light, she had swung her katana in a complete circle, cutting three of the heads off. "Solar halo."

One of the remaining heads turned to launch at her, but before it could even get near her, she already had her next blade prepared. "Sun style, 3rd blade." Instead of waiting for it, she jumped at and past it, the head receiving so many slashes that it was torn to pieces by the time she came out on the other side of it. "Solar winds."

Honoka could only watch in amazement from the shore as this girl single-handedly destroyed five of the nine heads without breaking a sweat. This was a power level that she had yet to reach. With such ease, Chika demolished the hydra, using her blades seamlessly and confidently, flowing one blade into the next like it was nothing. This was the result of more practice than Honoka could have gathered in her year as a demon slayer. This was the result of a life dedicated to the craft.

"Come on, Honoka-chan! If you don't hurry, I'm going to take all the fun!" Chika launched into the air again. "Sun style, 5th blade." She was launching herself right into one of the remaining heads, one stab of her sword tearing through the head and down the length of the body. "Solar flare."

Her words finally pushed Honoka into action even though she felt like it was pointless for her to help. "Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." She jumped into the air and vanished, tearing through one of the heads with her blade, slicing it clean off.

"That's more like it! Two heads left! One for each of us! Ahahaha!" Chika looked like she was having the time of her life and Honoka had to admit that the girl's confidence got to her somewhat and she found herself smiling as she went for one of the remaining heads.

"Four seasons, summer style, 3rd blade."

"Sun style, 7th blade."

"Heat wave." "Sunburst."

One of the remaining heads was sliced cleanly off and the other burst into a bloody mess, the two girls landing on the shore in front of the carnage.

"Not bad, not bad." Chika said, sheathing her katana and patting Honoka on the back. "But, come on. I'm happy to have all the fun, but if you want more fun, you have to come in earlier."

The two girls who were hiding began to slowly approach, but the other two hadn't broken their connections yet. And they knew that was the right decision when another serpent head rose from the water.

"Well, looks like I get another chance." Honoka said, realizing she was already fully caught in Chika's game.

"That's the spirit! Let's go!" The two girls launched themselves at the beast.

* * *

**I feel like I'll get a question about it so let me get this out of the way. Yeah, they're always fighting in third person, watching from their friend's eyes. But they've always fought like this so being able to move normally while doing this is no problem for them.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	10. Takami Chika II

**More combat Hono and combat Chika.**

**This is turning out longer than I thought.**

* * *

"Haha, I'd call that a job well done." Chika swung her sword around in a fancy looking routine before sliding it into the sheath and throwing it, letting it disappear. All around them, floating in the water and along the shore, were the remains of the hydra. But neither girls had so much as a drop of blood on them.

"Hm." Honoka took a look around at all the carnage. "Aren't hydras supposed to get more heads when you cut one off? I thought they were just like in mythology."

"Ah, that's because of my Demonbrand. I've infused it with the power of the sun over the years, which lowers the regenerative powers of certain demons. As for the hydra, it almost completely nullifies it. Hydras are exceptionally weak to the sun, after all."

After giving a call to the cleanup crew, the girls decided it was time to get out of there. They all wanted another soak in that bath before they left that place anyways. But still, Honoka was a little shocked over the whole job. She had gotten caught up in Chika's pace and ended up having fun with the whole thing, but still. That was an A+ rank demon. She couldn't imagine the struggle of having to take that thing on alone, but Chika dived in without a second thought and handled most of it by herself. The power gap between them was pushed in her face.

_If Master just let me use the autumn blades…_

She shook her head, pushing that thought away. For now, she would still follow her master's orders on that issue. Besides, in some sense, she did feel indebted to her master. And not using one of the four styles taught to her was a small price to pay for that tutelage. After all, who knows where she would be if Seira hadn't called out to her that day? Certainly not anywhere close to the Four Seasons. But seeing the Sun in action, she knew that if they fought, she would be on the edge of losing the entire time. That thought didn't sit comfortably with her, but she knew it was useless to think about that now.

"Hm?" Honoka pulled out her phone to see Umi calling her. It had been a while since she had spoken to any of the girls besides the occasional somewhat awkward text about how she was doing. She was still a bit hesitant to communicate with them too much and apparently, she had gotten that across as they had only contacted her a bit since their meeting. Though she was also sure they had plenty of things to sort out for themselves regarding this matter. "Hello? Umi-chan? Hm? Ah, um… I'm kind of in the middle of nowhere right now… Eh? Yeah. Yeah, I think Saturday would work fine. Mm. Yeah, don't worry. We'll be fine. Mm. Alright. Later."

"A friend?" Chika asked, looking back at her. "A comrade, maybe?"

"Ah, um… something like that…" Honoka didn't know how much she could trust Chika yet and telling her exactly what they've been up to would be a big risk for them. Or that's what she thought…

"Oh! You're talking to friends from before you died, right?" Honoka looked up in shock, but Chika had a knowing smile. "Come on, you don't need to hide it. We're both heirs, right? We have to get along. I won't tell HQ or anything. Besides, plenty of heirs end up contacting old friends without HQ's permission. If they don't leak anything about demon slayers, it's fine. That doesn't mean you shouldn't hide it, of course. But HQ pretty much just has that rule in place to scare people. After all, it could be bad if demon slayers became public knowledge. Don't want to throw the whole world into chaos, right?"

"Does that mean you too…?"

"Mm. Back when I first became a demon slayer, I contacted my old friends as soon as I was decided to be the heir to the Sun. After all, I have to share the good news with them, right? Ahaha."

"Have you contacted your family too?"

"…Mm. Though I waited quite a long time to do that. I waited until I actually had permission from HQ. But well… it's kind of sad, you know. For us, especially with our increased longevity from the demon blood, practically no time has passed. Most of the heirs of this generation haven't aged much at all since the day they became demon slayers. And then to go see your friends and family who have already moved on with their lives… Well, it's not to say that my family wasn't happy to see me, but it was bittersweet, you know. Now that I'm a demon slayer, I won't be living with them anymore and I'll be risking my life every day. Of course, they tried to talk me out of it, but I can't let that happen. I'm the heir to the Sun, and I don't plan on letting this style die with me. I'll protect the world for as long as I can and eventually pass on the Sun to an heir of my own."

Honoka had thought about that quite a bit. It's not like she would quit being a demon slayer just because she contacted her family again or started hanging out with her old friends again. Just like Chika and her master, Seira had entrusted her with the Four Seasons and she would eventually entrust them to an heir of her own, no matter how long that took. And they were doing good protecting the world from demons. Demon slayers ask for no reward. They just do as they're told. HQ decides to give them the reward of being able to reclaim part of their old lives, but…

"I get that feeling. Even so, I would like to see my family again. I always wonder how the shop is going, how my little sister is doing in school. She should be in high school now. I hope she has a lot of friends." It felt surreal to think about now, but she had seen Yukiho just that day before she was killed and now it's been over a year. Chika was right. Time felt like it passed somewhat differently for them. And thinking about it in the long term, she would almost definitely outlive all of her friends with her newfound longevity. "Ah, this is sad. I just want to go back now that this job is over." She stretched. "Ah, right, Hanayo-chan, the others want to hang out on Saturday. Is that fine?"

"Eh? Mm. Unless we get a job, I don't have any plans." Hanayo had gotten caught up in that conversation, thinking about how badly she still wanted to see her family. It felt amazing getting to see Rin and the others again, but still… she missed her family. After a year with no contact, she was feeling that more than ever before.

They all remained silent the rest of the way back. As they were all relaxing in the bath once again, Honoka still couldn't help but think on that fight. Chika was once again swimming around, not a care in the world, so she turned her attention to Riko.

"Hey, Riko. Hydra are A+ rank demons, right? Even if they can regenerate by growing more heads, is that really enough to rank them that high. It looks like once we took care of that problem the fight was incredibly easy."

"Hm? Ah, when Chika first attacked, I erected a barrier that nullifies demon magic. Hydra aren't ranked A+ because of their regeneration, it's purely because of their insanely high-level demon magic they use. Without it, they're really not much of a threat."

"E-Eh?" Hanayo looked up at that. "You can use barriers that nullify demon magic? Isn't that an amazing feat? I can only use basic barriers…"

"It's okay, Hanayo. If you practice more, you'll be able to use them too someday. It took me a very long time before I was able to adequately put one up for any significant amount of time. And even now, I can only keep one up for a few minutes. Luckily, you guys were able to handle it within that period of time. If that wasn't the case, well… I don't think we all would have gotten out of there unscathed."

Honoka swallowed, thinking about the implications behind that. The only demon magic she had ever seen was from relatively low ranked demons. The thought of what exactly a hydra might be able to do made her shudder. If she ever had to fight one again, she hoped that Hanayo would be able to use that kind of barrier by then. Or she would have to invite Chika or somebody to help.

Once they had their fill, they all packed most of their things so they could leave early the next morning. They'd head back to Tokyo together and then go their separate ways. Honoka could kind of get why people might not like working with the girl, but she actually enjoyed it. Chika had such confidence in her blades that she could dash into any battle without hesitation. Because of that, it could end up causing a lot of trouble for any teammates.

Honoka just sighed and leaned back, deciding that thinking about these things was a waste of time. For now, she would relax.

* * *

"Mm…" Honoka sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Is it morning?" She mumbled, looking around. She could still see the moon outside the window, so it was still night. Why was she awake then? She turned to the door and noticed there was a crack in it and one of the futons was empty. "That's…"

After quietly exiting the room, making sure to not wake up the two remaining girls, she looked outside and, sure enough, saw the girl she was looking for, heading into the woods they had come back from. She still remembered the way to that lake and was able to navigate through the darkness of the forest until she saw the moonlight glistening off the surface of the lake once again. And there, at the shore, stood Chika, staring out over the lake.

Honoka slowly approached and, though she was sure the girl noticed her before she even walked out from the forest, she said nothing and just let Honoka walk up next to her.

"The moon is beautiful… the calmness it brings to the world. And what better place to see it than reflected over a serene lake? Ah, this is truly where I feel the most relaxed. How about you, Honoka?" For some reason, Honoka couldn't shake the feeling that Chika was looking for an answer to a question that she hadn't asked.

"Chika…"

"How about we have a round, Honoka?"

"Eh?"

"I couldn't help but notice during that fight that you were holding back. It was strange. Even when I killed that demon above the bath, you looked like you wanted to do something, but you were hesitant. It has to do with your autumn blade, right?"

Honoka flinched at that remark. She had been trying to push that to the back of her mind, but she couldn't deny the truth. The autumn blade was the hardest to master, but also the most powerful of the Four Seasons. And yet, her master had told her to not use it. If she could, these jobs would be infinitely easier, at least concerning low to mid rank demons. And it would give her a fighting chance of killing higher rank demons on her own.

"Ha… Look, my master told me not to use it. I can't just go against her wishes."

"It's causing you to hesitate. That's a problem." Chika suddenly turned a serious look on her. "I thought your battle sense was lacking, but that's not true. You always have the perfect blade in mind to use in every situation. However, you always end up hesitating because, when your autumn blade comes to mind, you lose focus trying to think of a substitute. One day that hesitation will cost your life."

"Even so…" Honoka looked down somberly. Of course, she knew this. She believed that her master had her reasons, but even so. One day, her hesitation would end up costing her dearly, whether the price was her life or Hanayo's. She felt herself clenching her fists. This was the one thing that her and her master could never agree on.

"That's why…" Chika summoned her katana to her side and drew it. "Duel me. Don't hold back, I promise I won't die." She took a few steps away from the girl and smiled. "I want to see the real Kousaka Honoka. I want to see that beautiful blade of yours shining. The previous Master of the Four Seasons was considered one of the most powerful swordsman in history, on par with the first Master of the Moon. Don't hold back. Even just one is fine. Assure yourself that you are still capable of using them in battle."

"I…" Honoka found that she had already summoned her katana. That's right. She was excited. More than anything, she wanted to draw her sword and use the autumn blade against such a strong opponent. More than anything, she wanted to see how far she could go. This handicap held her back, but she knew that if she lifted it, she might even be able to fight on par with this girl whose blade she admired so much. "I want to… but…"

Just as she let that tense feeling fade, ready to let her katana vanish and head back, something flew overhead.

"Sun style, 7th blade, Sunburst." Chika immediately slashed the thing which then slowly floated down to them. "That's…"

"A familiar…?" Honoka caught it as it gently floated down towards her. The paper had been slashed, but that's all it was, a piece of paper with strange markings on it. But when she flipped over the side that wasn't ruined, she saw: _Give her hell, Honoka!_ "Eh? This handwriting… Master?" She looked around, but she didn't feel anybody even remotely close to them.

"Is something wrong, Honoka?" Chika asked, suddenly worried.

"No…" Honoka smiled knowingly and mumbled, "Thank you, Master. I won't disappoint you." Then she looked up and spoke in a clear voice, hand going to the hilt of her katana. "I, Kousaka Honoka, heir to the Four Seasons, accept your duel. I'll fight you with everything I have."

"… Pfft. Ahaha! That's more like it! As Takami Chika, heir to the Sun, I will fight with my life. Now, let's begin!"

Honoka's entire body trembled a bit, but she took a deep breath, steadying herself. This girl was powerful, much more so than any demon she had faced in the last year. Even though the thought of death was far away, she feared the immense power she knew this girl possessed. But now was the time. Even her master had given her permission to go all out for once. She had no idea if her master was watching her, but if she was Honoka didn't plan on putting on a dull show.

"Sun style, 7th blade, Sunburst." "Four seasons, spring style, 5th blade, Spring breeze." Almost immediately after Chika started her blade, Honoka prepared her counter, hoping that she would be fast enough to actually challenge that move. And she saw the blade coming her way and gently guided it to the side, the sword striking the ground and destroying the shore. "Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." She vanished, appearing right in front of the girl, her sword aimed to take the girl's stomach. But she saw the smile on Chika's face. "Sun style, 2nd blade." Honoka quickly reversed her momentum, jumping back just as the girl's sword came in a wide circle around her. "Solar halo."

"Your movement is amazing, Honoka."

"Your sheer power is much more so."

Chika just laughed and began sprinting towards her, sword at the ready. "Sun style, 5th blade." Honoka took another deep breath. She had never used the autumn blade in actual combat, but now she knew was the time. "Four seasons, autumn style, 2nd blade." She saw the smile on Chika's face who was happy she was taking this seriously. "Solar flare." Chika stabbed in with her sword carrying a force that could destroy a mountain. Honoka tightened her grip on the katana, readying herself. If she screwed this up, she would never hear the end of it, so she had to make sure this blade was perfect. "Dancing under the red leaves."

And everything stopped. Or at least, for Chika, it felt like it. She could see her blade moving incredibly slowly, but the power was still there. But she felt like she was trudging through water. And when she looked up, her eyes widened. Honoka was moving at a normal running speed, coming straight for her. She tried to move faster, but realized she was already moving at fast as she could. And then everything started moving normal again as she saw Honoka's sword lift slightly from her sheath and it slammed into her sword with such force that she almost lost her grip immediately. And the hits didn't stop. Chika found herself on the defensive, barely finding herself able to block the hits that seemed to be coming in from every angle. She had to get a blade off or this dance of her opponent's would easily overpower her.

"Sun style, 8th blade." She blocked one more hit and drew her sword back, preparing to bring it in with full power against this next one. "Supernova." With the flames of the burning sun behind her, she swung her katana into the girl's dance, slamming the blade aside and throwing it out wide. Honoka kept her grip on the sword though and brought it back in with astonishing speed, continuing her dance. She would bring the sword around one side of her while hitting from the other side, Chika only catching glimpses of the sword between hits, but predicting where the hits would come from, landing solid blocks still. "But that's not the end… of my Supernova."

Honoka suddenly backstepped, realizing her mistake too late. She had assumed that the parrying blow was the girl's move, but Chika's sword snaked its way through her dance and, even as she backed up, Chika brought the katana in, stopping it before it made contact with Honoka's sword. But the force of the attack was enough to send Honoka flying towards the lake. She steadied herself and made a landing in ankle deep water.

She sheathed her blade and brought her hand tightly around the hilt. "Four seasons, autumn style, 2nd blade…" But then she stopped and loosened her grip on the katana, standing up straight. Chika had burst into laughter as she examined herself, realizing her clothes had cuts all over the place but none had penetrated the skin. "I'm sorry about your clothes, Chika." Honoka called out as she walked out of the water. As she walked out though, she noticed her own clothes had various tears in them and she couldn't help but laugh a little.

"That's it!"

"Ah…" Honoka stood straight. Chika's sword vanished and she ran up to the girl, embracing her in a tight hug. "E-Eh? Chika?"

"I knew you had it in you! No heir has ever knocked my katana away from me. But you could do it if you tried! That's what I wanted to see! I caught of glimpse of your true potential! And that wasn't the full blade, was it? I could tell!" Honoka was a bit shocked to hear that…

"Ah, uh… kind of. Dancing under the red leaves doesn't really have an end. It's a move that's supposed to be used 'until your opponent cannot continue.' Or, at least, that's what Master told me."

"Mm. That's good enough. Seeing that really made me feel excited. Let's head back and get some rest before the trip back. We'll call this a draw."

"Mm." Though Honoka agreed to that, she looked down at her hands which were shaking. The force of Chika's Supernova had instantly numbed her hands. She couldn't believe she was even able to continue the blade after that first hit. Chika's power was on an entirely different level. Even if that fight had continued, Honoka knew that she would have lost.

But for now, that would be the end of it.

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	11. Kazuno Seira III

**Well, here's the next chapter. A little glimpse.**

* * *

"Go." Seira let the familiar leave her hand and it vanished into the air. "Really… If I knew it would trouble you so much, I never would have restricted those blades. I go to check up on you and this happens… Hmph. Good luck, Honoka. Now then…" She wiped the sweat from her brow.

She had initially thought she was going to still be in Japan, or perhaps head somewhere in Europe for this mission. But no, she was smack in the middle of the rainforest in the Congo. Seira had been to Africa many times, but mostly Egypt, South Africa, and Mozambique. But she would never get used to humid weather.

"Man, I could really use a bath right now… but well… looks like that'll have to wait." She was in the middle of a rainforest, no civilization in any direction for miles. And, in front of her, sat a door set into a large tree, out of place in the forest. "The barrier around this place is strong…" She took a few steps forward and instantly felt as if the gravity around her had increased tenfold. "Ha… So that's what we're dealing with, huh? Guess I won't be able to sneak in then."

Seira summoned her katana to her side and, with one swipe of it, shattered the barrier. She walked up to the door and pulled her sword back. "Four seasons, summer style, 3rd blade, Heat wave." And with one slice of her sword, she destroyed the door. Inside, a staircase led down into darkness. As soon as she stepped foot inside, she could already tell that she was no longer in Africa. The air became cold and thin, the very feeling of the place just… wrong.

"Man, I hope I'm still on Earth at least. Maybe this is Hell…" She felt like she walked down those stairs for hours before finally seeing a light through an arch at the end. And, sure enough, when she walked in, she saw something straight out of a fantasy novel. The place looked like a massive cave with a typical castle you'd find in any shitty light novel where a Demon Lord would be waiting for the protagonist. But something felt off to her. It was too quiet, completely silent. No fires were lit in braziers, no light at all. If not for her enhanced vision, she wouldn't have been able to see anything.

Seira kept her grip tight on her katana as she walked along the stone path leading to the castle. The path wasn't cracked or anything and the place looked like it had been kept up fairly well, so she had to wonder why they would have abandoned it, unless they found out that demon slayers found the location. That wasn't the most unlikely situation.

But she started to doubt that as she moved deeper in. Despite seeing no bodies, blood streaked the walls on the inside of the castle. Had a demon slayer already come here without HQ's permission?

_This isn't right. There's no way. Did the demons kill each other? They've always had a pretty solid hierarchy when it comes to the higher ranks, so I doubt it. Just what…_

Seira's thoughts came to a halt as she pushed opened the large doors to the throne room. Thousands of decapitated demon heads laid in piles on the sides of the room. Those were more heads than there could possibly have been demons in the place. She slowly walked through the room, hand on the hilt of her katana, waiting for something to jump out of one of the piles at her. But nothing did. And when she reached the throne itself, a decapitated body sat there, a humanoid form, definitely a high ranked demon. The head of the demon sat on its lap.

Looking over the body and the face of the demon, she didn't recognize it at all. She sighed and took a picture with her phone, knowing this would have to be something she reported to HQ immediately. Her job was well… done, she supposed. This was, most likely she figured, the demon she had come to kill, but someone had beat her to it.

"Oi, you. Stop hiding or I'll kill you before you can run." She turned around, looking back towards the doorway. Sure enough, a man walked out from behind one of the open doors. He looked like a normal Japanese man, which, since they're in Africa, would already have raised some red flags for her even if they hadn't been in some demonic hold.

"Ah, what an honour. The Master of the Four Seasons takes time out of their busy day to greet me. It must be my lucky day." A slight twitch from the girl, who was easily a hundred meters away from him, and a cut formed on his cheek, black blood leaking down his face. The smile faded from his immediately. "All business, is it?"

"Just as you've said, trash, I'm busy. Speak or die here. What business do you have with me?" A cold glare met the man's gaze, one that could even make a demon shudder. Seira walked down the few steps in front of the throne and walked about halfway through the hall before stopping, waiting for an answer.

"I'm merely a messenger. Just here to extend an invitation to you, Four Seasons."

"An invitation."

He reached into his suit and took out a letter. A rather cheesy way of sending an invitation in this day and age, Seira thought. With a flick of his wrist the letter came flying her way and she caught it. Without taking her eyes off the man, she opened the letter, finally glancing away to look at the contents. After a minute of reading, she looked back up, somewhat surprised that the man was still even there.

"Is this a joke?"

"I assure you that it is not. We ask that you please take the offer seriously, even if you decide to reject it. Well then, I'll be on my way." He turned to leave, but as he took his first step out of the door, his head fell cleanly off.

Seira shoved the letter in her pocket and walked out, not even glancing at the body as she passed by. Surely, they had expected her to kill the messenger. As if she would let any demon escape her sight.

"Guess it's time to head back." She stopped a few feet out of the door, though, glancing at the body. A purple smoke was rising from its neck, flowing into the room behind her. A sigh escaped her mouth. All of the heads began to move and float into the air. "Such a cheap trick… I hope you're watching, Pestilence. Four seasons, autumn style, 3rd blade." In an instant, a moment that could be missed in the blink of an eye, every single head was torn to shreds. "Falling leaves. Hmph." She turned away from the gruesome mess and took her leave.

* * *

Seira dropped her bag on the floor as she walked into the penthouse, tossing her coat and shoes in random directions and grabbed the entire bottle of tea from the refrigerator before sitting on the sofa and taking the letter out from her pocket. Taking a sip from the half-empty bottle of tea, she reviewed the letter again.

It really was just an invitation to a dinner. But the part that bothered her was the last line: _This invitation is extended to Four Seasons, Master and heir._ The fact that they expressly mentioned that this was for both of them didn't sit well with her. If it was just her, she wouldn't have a problem, but why would they care if Honoka were to attend?

Seira had already made her report to HQ but, against her better judgment, had mentioned nothing about her encounter with the demon who had given her the letter. And, thinking back on it, she hadn't even ended up getting any information from the bastard before she killed him. Not that he was planning on giving her any information, she figured.

She just stared at the letter, wondering if she should talk to her heir about it. Part of her didn't want to get Honoka involved in this, but part of her felt like it was the right thing to do. Honoka would be pissed if she found out later that she had gone there alone, especially if she ended up getting injured in some fight with a powerful demon. After all, there was no indication as to the demon's rank, but just the name 'Pestilence,' which she took to be a bad joke. Pestilence was the name of a demon slain hundreds of years ago by the then Master of the Sky.

"Ah, this is too much to think about… I wonder how Honoka did in that duel. Well, if she could use autumn style, there's no way she should have lost, even to Sun. Maybe I'll go talk to her about it if she's back already. Geeeez. I just wanted a peaceful life and now look at where I am. Well, if anything, I at least don't regret taking Honoka as my heir. I'm glad the light came back to those eyes."

She finally got up and threw on some casual clothes. Sitting around the house wasn't going to get her anywhere. She decided to at least go walk around the city for a while and she would contact Mari later, but… well, she figured there was no harm in putting that off for now. Seira knew she would have to do something about her indecisiveness one of these days, but this wasn't exactly a decision that she was taking lightly. But now wasn't the time for that.

After leaving the hotel, she wandered the streets of Tokyo, not really knowing what to do. Besides Honoka and Hanayo, she didn't have any friends, so hanging out wasn't really an option. Normally she would be swamped with jobs, but now that she had even the tiniest bit of time off, she had no idea what to do with it. Cafés seemed attractive but sitting in one alone didn't sound very fun to her. Maybe she should contact Honoka after all…

"Ah, Umi-chan, it's that café that I saw in a magazine!"

"You're really excited about this, aren't you?"

"Well, of course! It's been too long since we've had this kind of freedom!"

"She's right… we're usually swamped with work, so this is nice."

Those voices… Seira would have liked to believe she was just hearing things, but, when she turned around, she saw the face of her heir and her heir's partner, partially hidden under the hoods of the jackets they wore. And they were hanging out with a group of friends that Seira recognized all too well from pictures the two had showed her. Well… she knew that many demon slayers did this, especially heirs of this generation, so she wasn't really upset. But she actually felt a little jealous that she couldn't hang out with them like that.

All nine of the girls were laughing and talking like everything was normal, as if two of their friends weren't considered dead to the rest of the world. If Honoka trusted them enough to explain things to them, Seira figured it wasn't her place to say anything. Besides, one day Honoka would be the Master of the Four Seasons and she would have to make her own decisions.

But that didn't mean she wouldn't do anything.

And so, she followed them around a bit, watching the girls go in and out of shops, trying on clothes and eating at a café. Seira missed the days of her youth when she would do those things with her younger sister. But that was a long time ago, before she became a demon slayer, before she had said goodbye to her family and friends to pursue this new life. And, even thinking about it now, she didn't feel sad and didn't regret her decision. After all, look at just how happy her heir was.

As the group of nine was sitting down in a café, the two girls keeping their hoods on even inside being more than a little suspicious, Seira walked in and around the girls while the two were distracted. She walked up behind Honoka and leaned down, pulling on the girl's cheeks, suddenly drawing the attention of the rest of the girls.

"I see, I see. Poor Seira-chan is out here working so hard and my dear little heir is enjoying her youth. Oh, how cruel the world can be!"

"M-Mawstwa, pulese stowp thawt." Honoka tried to get out as the girl continued messing with her face.

"Eh? Heir?" Seira look to her side to see Maki looking up at her. "That means… you're the Master of the Four Seasons, right?"

"You really did tell them everything, huh, Honoka?"

"Ah, um." Maki stood up and bowed. "I-It's been a while… Seira-san." Seira just stared at her for a second before a look of realization came over her.

"You're… Maki-chan!? The old heir to the Moon?" Seira wrapped her arms around the redhead in a big hug. "Ah, it's been so long! How have you been, Maki-chan? Last I heard was that you turned away from the Moon, but I haven't heard anything since, and I really haven't gotten the chance to talk with your mom about you either. Ah…" She noticed all of the girls were staring at her in confusion. She let go of Maki, cleared her throat, and gave a small bow. "My name is Kazuno Seira. Thank you for taking care of my he-… taking care of Honoka. I'm glad you could all be friends despite knowing her circumstances."

"Master…" Honoka smiled up at her.

"Eh? You're the one who taught Honoka?" Eli looked a bit shocked. "I'm sorry, I uh… imagined it was someone a lot older. But you don't look that much older than us."

"Ah, yeah I guess that could be confusing. Honoka may have forgotten to mention it, but the demon blood in us slows down our aging by quite a bit. I'm… a decent bit older than I look. And these two will look the same for quite a few years to come. One of the only perks of our job, I guess?" She laughed, but the other girls just looked around in confusion. "Oh, you guys were probably avoiding this subject, right? My bad, I just saw all of you and couldn't help myself."

"Why don't you join us since you're here, Master?" Honoka asked, perking up.

"Haha. Thanks, but I'll pass. And Honoka," Seira said, flicking the girl's forehead. "Next time don't hide stuff from me. Well then, I'll be on my way. Enjoy your day, girls. Ah, that's right." Seira stopped as she reached the door. "Come by my place later, Honoka. We have something important to discuss." And with that she left the girls.

_Really… what am I doing? Well, at the least, I'm glad Honoka is having fun. She always seemed to be thinking over her friends. And I've never seen such a bright smile on her before. She must have been like that all the time back in the day._

Seira shook her head and continued along the streets of Tokyo, ready to be back at her room for some reason.

* * *

Right after she let Mari know she was back from her job, she heard a knock at her door and yelled, "Come in!" Honoka walked through the door, but Hanayo wasn't with her this time. That was what Seira had wanted though and it seemed like her heir had picked up on that.

"Come, have a seat, Honoka." Seira pointed to one of the vacant seats which Honoka sat down in. Seira reached into her pocket and threw the letter she had received to the girl. "What do you think?"

"Eh?" Honoka quickly read the invitation and shook her head. "This is obviously some kind of trap, right? And why would they want me there, anyways? Of course, if you go, I'll go with you, but…" She looked up to see her master smiling.

"I was hoping you would say that. We're going to accept this invitation, Honoka. But you can't say a word about it to anyone. In fact, I would rather you keep the details hidden from Hanayo for now, as well. If you need to tell her something, just tell her we're doing some private training or something. I'm sure she would understand."

"You really want to go, Master? What if it is a trap? If they're confident enough to just invite us out like this, who knows how many high rank demons we might encounter?"

"We'll cut them down if that's the case." Seira crossed her arms and stated resolutely. Then she paused and the serious look on her face was replaced with a smile. "How did it feel, Honoka? To use the autumn blade in combat."

"I…" Honoka looked down at her hand, remembering the feeling of the dance she performed. It was amazing. There was no other way to describe it. The feeling of clashing blades with a powerful opponent without holding back… "The best. However, even using that blade, I'm not convinced I would have won against the heir to the Sun. Not only was she skilled, but her sheer power far outclassed my own."

"Haha. Don't worry, Honoka. You still have a lot of room to grow. The fact that you even managed to block her blades is impressive enough. Besides, that was the first time you were able to use any of the autumn blades in combat. I would be surprised if you could defeat her like that. After using them more, you'll get better."

"Master, does that mean…?"

"Mm. From now on, if you're fighting A rank or higher demons, you can use your autumn blade. You need to get in some practice anyways."

"Thank you, Master!"

"Now, get going. The invitation marked next week as the meeting time. Make sure to keep your schedule open. I'll contact you again when it's time."

"Mm! Thanks again!" She excitedly ran out the door and Seira just watched her leave with a smile.

"Well, as long as she's smiling, I must be doing something right as a master… right?"

* * *

**Kind of short, but not much shorter than the other chapters. Gave you a glimpse at a master's true strength.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	12. Ohara Mari I

**Hey, another chapter.**

**Sorry this one is a little late. I ended up writing two diff chapters but decided I wanted this one to come first.**

**Also, there was a massive error in Takami Chika II, sorry about that. It's corrected.**

* * *

**7 days until the dinner party**

"I'm a bit busy, so I would appreciate it if you got straight to the point, Void." Mari said, venom dripping from her mouth with every word. She sighed and looked out the window at the rain pouring outside the café, wishing she could have just continued on her way to see Seira like she had planned. "Well?" She looked back to the dark-haired girl in front of her. "What is it, Yoshiko-chan?"

"Hmph. I thought since you were so close with my Master that you would be a bit friendlier. This fallen angel is hurt. Ah, but the pain will only give me power in the future." Yoshiko covered an eye with her hand and laughed to herself, but when she saw the bored look the girl across from her was giving her, she cleared her throat. "Master would like to ask for your cooperation. However, since she is busy right now, I've come in her stead, as a messenger from beyond."

"You know, it's precisely because you act like that that I have trouble dealing with you, Yoshiko-chan."

"Please, call me Void."

"No."

"Eh…"

While it was true that Mari was good friends with the Master of Void, but she had only spoken with Yoshiko a few times over the years. After all, Yoshiko was, relatively, a new heir despite her incredible power. To think that her friend would take someone like this on as an heir. Sometimes she wondered exactly what Void was thinking.

"Well, what exactly is she looking for me to help with? Though I already have some inkling…"

"Mm. We've located the base of the Third Demon Lord."

"What? Impossible. I'm aware that the two of you disposed of the Fourth Demon Lord, but finding the Third in such a short amount of time?"

"When we need something, we simply gaze into the Void and receive our answers." Mari almost dismissed that as one of her ramblings, but the serious look on the girl's face made her have second thoughts. But the Void… "Anyways, we'd like for you and your heir to accompany us in facing the Demon Lord."

"Huh? Void asking for help?"

"Unlike most heirs who struggle to find their power, we're very well aware of the limitations of our power. The Fourth Demon Lord was already in a weakened state when we encountered him, which allowed us to dispose of him easily. We don't believe this is true for the Third Demon Lord. For that reason, we believe that it would be best to have powerful demon slayers accompany us. As I'm sure you know, Master is distrustful of HQ, so she refuses to ask them for help. Well…" She paused for a second as if listening and then smiled. "It would seem as if the Void beckons me back. If you would accept our offer, please contact us via leyline. We look forward to a positive response." Without letting Mari get in another word, Yoshiko stood and left the café.

And what the hell was Mari supposed to make of this? Not that she had doubted them before, but Void had finally reported the death of the Fourth Demon Lord to HQ, who confirmed it. But even so… Locating the Third Demon Lord so soon? Demon slayers have been searching for the Demon Lords for centuries and always struggled. How could Void have found two of them in such a short timespan?

Mari suddenly felt like she had so many things to think about and her head was hurting. These were definitely things for another time. After all, she hadn't been given a deadline for her response so she would wait a bit, possibly discuss it with Seira. She had been on her way to pay a surprise visit to the girl who had just returned from a job after all. And seeing her lover was exactly what she felt like needed at the moment. The rain had subsided so she decided to continue on her way. But not long after leaving the café, she saw a familiar face leaning back against a wall, looking up to smile at her as she approached.

"Tsubasa? Were you waiting for me?"

"Ah, kind of. I noticed Void leaving that café when I was passing by and, when I glanced inside, I saw you, Master, so I thought I would check out what's going on."

"I see, I see." She reached out and rubs her heir's head. "I'm glad you're worried about me, you're so adorable, Tsubasa~"

"M-Master, come on…" She pushed her master's hand away and crossed her arms. "I just wanted to make sure that the heir to Void wasn't messing with you or anything." Mari laughed a bit at that, glad her heir cared about her so much.

"I'm fine, Tsubasa. But I do have something that I need to discuss with you, but not now. Tomorrow night come by my place. We have important matters to attend to."

"Huh? Ah, um, right. I'll be there."

Mari nodded and bid farewell to her heir before continuing on her way. She had a bad feeling that the world of demon slayer was about to be shaken. With the death of the Fourth Demon Lord, many demon slayers were getting fired up, but what would the death of a second one do? And that was assuming that they could actually kill it, even with four of them. Then again, for all she knew, Void could be recruiting others as well. But again… The Demon Lords have been alive for so long. Yoshiko said that the Fourth was in a weakened state, but if the Third wasn't, who knows what kind of power he holds?

She was kind of hesitant to even speak to Tsubasa about it, much less bring her along. If she died at the hands of a Demon Lord, she at least wanted her heir to live. Mari shook her head, trying to wipe all these negative thoughts out of it. She hadn't been thinking this negatively since Seira had ended their relationship years prior. That's something to look forward to, at least. Regardless of anything else that happened, she knew she would have Seira from now on and that thought was comforting.

But her walk suddenly slowed, the sound of her footsteps vanishing. With a sigh she tapped her foot one more time to make sure. And sure enough, she knew a demon was nearby. Well, by nearby, she knew it was around a mile away, but that wasn't very far for someone who had the strength and speed of a demon slayer. She slipped into a back alley and sprinted towards the demon, sensing that it was barely moving.

As she approached, she ended up in a pretty rundown part of town. Several abandoned buildings that had yet to be demolished stood next to each other, a place for gang and who knows who to hang out. She took a step in, realizing this massive building was an old hotel. From the look of it, it was probably quite the nice hotel in its day, but now… mold and plants grew in various places in the lobby. Trash and graffiti were everywhere the eye could see. This place had probably been abandoned for years to get in this condition.

Mari summoned her katana to her side and tapped the ground, letting the sound waves travel through the complex. Only one demon from what she could sense. But it was humanoid, meaning it was more than likely an A rank demon or higher. A sigh escaped her mouth. They really were going undetected more and more these days. She hadn't had a job in a few days and that was worrying for her. Luckily, whenever she was out and about, she would constantly monitor as far as she could be bothered to using the sound waves from her steps. That was the job a demon slayer, after all.

"The tenth floor…" The elevator obviously didn't work so she took her time walking up the long stairs. A chain and lock kept her from entering the tenth floor, but with a quick flick of her hand which rested on her katana, the chain was cleanly cut and she entered the floor. Apparently, the chain hadn't stopped hooligans from vandalizing this floor either as there was the same amount of trash and graffiti as on the lower floors. But an all too familiar stench reached her as she walked down the hallway. "Blood."

The stench only grew stronger as she continued along, and she paused outside room 1043. Blood was leaking from under the door and she could hear the sound of flesh being ripped a part, a sound she had unfortunately heard far too many times over the years. She grabbed the knob and turned it. The room wasn't locked, so it immediately came open and she pushed the door in. The sound immediately stopped. Inside, she had a direct view to the main part of the room. And, even with all her experience, she had trouble not gagging.

Human flesh was _everywhere_. Blood was splattered so thickly around the room, it looked like a layer of paint. Bits and pieces of human flesh littered the floor and furniture. And in that room, a girl that looked no older than her stared back at her. Long black hair that fell to her ankles, a black dress that made her look ready to go to a party. And, strangely enough, no blood stained any part of her body except for her hands. But as she turned to regard the girl who had opened the door, she licked her hand, tilting her head and giving Mari a questioning look.

"Huh? Oh… a demon slayer, huh? That's weird… I didn't sense you coming at all. Oh well. So, you're here to kill me, right? Let's not fight in my dining room, huh?" Mari remained silent but had no objections to that. She had no desire to take a single step into that room, so she backed away from the door and moved down the hall a bit and, sure enough, the girl walked out and looked at her, her hands now clean form the blood and a tired look on her face.

"I see you've been feasting quite a bit." Mari constantly tapped her foot as she stood there, facing the girl. "You smell horrific. I would have appreciated it if you had at least cleaned up a bit before I arrived."

"Ah… well… I would also appreciate it if you didn't interrupt me in the middle of my meal. I guess we both have our circumstances, huh?"

"… Sound style, 3rd blade." Mari drew her katana and the demon shifted slightly, ready to defend herself. But Mari didn't strike at her with the sword and instead, tapped it on the sheath. And a gash opened across the demon girl's chest, her eyes widening with shock. "Echo."

"The Master of Sound…" A wide smile spread over the demon's face. "Haha. That's good. That's good. I've always wanted to fight a master of a style. Show me your power that you claim could fell even a Demon Lord." The wound on her stomach immediately healed and she held out of a hand, a black chain extending, heading straight for the demon slayer.

Mari sidestepped it and started to rush in, but the chain entered a rift that opened behind her and she quickly took notice as several more rifts opened all around her, a black chain coming out of each one, striking at her from angles all around. She weaved through the chains, making sure not a single one came in contact with her. "Sound style, 6th blade, Resounding notes." She struck one of the chains with her sword but didn't cut it. Just as the demon prepared to open more rifts, she suddenly felt violent vibrations traveling through her from the chain. She coughed up black blood, the vibrations so intense they were rupturing her insides. She let the chain vanish and, with it, the vibrations as she jumped back, but Mari was already closing in.

"Sound style, 2nd blade." Even though the demon had already assessed the risk of using her chains against this particular opponent, she didn't have much of a choice. Dozens of small rifts opened around Mari, chains striking out at incredible speeds, but they all struck the ground, the girl already gone. "That's…!" Mari already stood behind her, her katana facing down. "First harmony." Before the demon could even turn around to lash out at her, its entire body fell into bloody pieces. Mari sheathed her sword and shook her head as she began to walk back towards the stairs.

"Hm?" A flash of her katana diverted a chain that came from one of those rifts and she looked as the bloody pieces began to reconstruct until the demon was whole again, her face now filled with anger. "You lowly demon slayer, don't underestimate me!" Dozens of rifts opened again, but this time the demon held its hand into a rift in front of it and shot ball of black fire into it. Hundreds of the balls of fire began blasting through the rifts, practically covering the entire width of the hallway as they closed in on the girl.

"Sound style, 4th blade." Mari sheathed her katana and held it in both hands, taking a deep breath. And she gently tapped the end of the sheath to the ground. The fireballs just inches from her face were all destroyed, all of the rifts vanishing, and the demon found her arms cut into pieces. "Perfect symphony." But the demon wasn't done, this time opening her mouth where more of the black balls of fire shot from, but each one that approached Mari was cut down before getting close. "You…! Just what are you…!?" Mari held her sword held out to her side. "Sound style, 3rd blade." With a light tap to the wall with her sword the head of the demon fell to the floor. "Echo."

"I'm sorry." Mari said, walking up and looking down at the demon who was obviously still alive. "This time, I'll make sure to completely destroy your body. Go back to hell."

* * *

"Coming!" Seira called out to the knock at her door. She opened it to a tackle hug from Mari, making her take a few steps back before she tripped and fell. "Ah! Wha? Mari?" Seira sighed at the girl acting as if she was 15 or something again. She reached out to rub the girl's head, Mari silently laying there for a bit before finally looking up at the girl.

"I had to take a detour, but I'm here."

"I can see that. Come on, get up. You're acting like a high school girl getting her first girlfriend." They stood and Mari just laughed that off.

"Well, I am physically still the age of a high school student, so it's fine, isn't it?"

"You can't use that excuse forever, you know…" Mari sat on one of the empty chairs while Seira grabbed some glasses and a bottle of tea. Mari looked around the room. Many of the books had been put in stacks, along with papers, but there was still quite a bit spread around. It would be easy to slip and hurt yourself if you weren't used to it, but Seira clearly was as she crumbled many papers on her way to the girl without stumbling a bit.

Both of them debated telling the other about their situation. Mari would possibly be facing a Demon Lord with the Master and heir of Void. And Seira would be meeting with a presumably high rank demon and could potentially be walking into a death trap with her heir. They both realized they were possibly facing a losing situation, but neither of them could bring themselves to tell the other about it.

So, they both just decided to put it off.

Instead, Mari scooped up some of the papers and gave them a glance. "Demonic runes, again?" Strange symbols were littered around the pages with paragraphs of text surrounding them.

"Mm. We're demon slayers after all, right? Who knows how much time we have left? I need to hurry up with my research. I've been swamped with this investigation and I still got that job the other day on top of that. Really, there's only so much one girl can do." There was a pause, the conversation dying out at her comment. Seira felt a little bad about that, knowing that Mari didn't like her talking about it. Seira cleared her throat. "I've been thinking about visiting Master's grave, maybe bringing Honoka with me."

"Oh?" Mari smiled. "I think that's a good idea. It's been a while since you've visited, right? Probably several years by this point. It would be rude not to introduce your heir." Seira nodded at that, her thinking having been along the same line.

"So, I was wondering." Seira stood and moved to look out the glass door that led to a sort of patio, overlooking the city. "Maybe you'd like to come as well? Master thought fondly of you, after all. Plus, er…"

"Seira?"

"Ugh, I really do hate this love stuff." She turned around, arms crossed, a light tint of red to her cheeks. "If I'm going to introduce my heir, I should introduce my lover as well, right?"

"Seira… That's too cute, it's unfair!" Mari jumped up to hug her lover, but Seira held her back.

"Really…" A smile snuck its way onto her face. "We have all the time in the world, Mari."

* * *

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	13. Yuuki Setsuna I

**A little shorter of a chapter about Setsuna.**

**The next few chapters will be relatively chaotic, jumping between characters to tell the events of this week leading up to the party.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**7 days until the dinner party**

My name is Yuuki Setsuna, your average high school girl who goes about her day like any other! Daydreaming during class, shirking off studies, panic studying before tests, hanging out with friends afterschool, and just enjoying my nice high school life. Well, that is until I was torn up by a demon one night when I was getting home late. Turns out that going to karaoke can actually lead to you dying! Haha. But that's what happened. I went out to karaoke with my friends like any other day. We stayed a little later than usual and I, in all my shining brilliance, took a shortcut through some side streets and I got cut up by something I couldn't even see. Such is the tale of most demon slayers.

After all of that stuff, I woke up in some weird government lab where they told me that I got some demon blood in me and now I would be forced to be a demon slayer! So unfair, right? It's not like it was my choice! But, well, I don't really regret anything. It kind of sucked that I wouldn't be able to talk with my friends and family anymore, but I ended up meeting a really nice person who taught me swordsmanship. They me their heir, the heir to the Devouring Sword.

And now, a few years later, I hunt demons. We get a kind of stipend from the government to assure that we don't starve or anything and, really, if you get your rank up, the stipend gets fairly high. I guess that's one of the perks of protecting the country, huh? Anyways, I still practice my swordplay every day, making sure the blades that I've spent so long practicing are engraved in my muscles. Wait, I don't have big muscles though, I swear I'm still a normal, slim high school girl!

Ah… I was supposed to keep talking about my past, right? Well… there isn't much to say and I think that goes for most demon slayers. We travel around the world, following our masters until we're mastered every blade of our style. After that, while we can still learn some things from our masters and we stay in constant contact with them, we're full fledged demon slayers at that point. I was stationed in Kyoto, but I make regular trips to Tokyo, since different demon slayers always seem to be going in and out of that city.

I'm not really sure if most demon slayers enjoy their job, but I definitely do. After all, using your blades is so much fun! And, on top of that, I get to interact with so many different kinds of people. I've dueled with a bunch of different heirs. Just the other day, I got to duel with Four Seasons and Sound. I won't make any excuses for my loss, but… it was two on one, you know!? I know I accepted those terms, but I didn't think fighting two heirs at the same time would be so difficult! Well, maybe I could have tried a little harder, but that's in the past. When it comes to slaying demons, I can keep up with the best!

Oh, I got distracted again. Let's see, some stories from my past… Oh, how about the time I sparred with Void? I'll save you the details of how it started other than I was the one who instigated it and Void begrudgingly accepted. But that's always how it seems to be with these guys.

* * *

"I'm ready when you are, Void." Setsuna called out, holding her katana at the ready.

"… Very well. I, Fallen Angel Yohane of the Void, accept this duel." A jet-black sheath appeared at her hip, white feathers lining the length.

"Devour style, 1st blade." Setsuna dashed in, staying true to the style of the Devouring Sword, one that focused solely on overwhelming the opponent. "Dragon's jaw." Yoshiko made no move to defend as the girl moved her blade so quickly it looked as if two blades came from above and below, closing in on the girl. But by the time the blade reached her, there was no target. "Void style, 2nd blade." Yoshiko was already above the girl and by the time Setsuna realized this and moved her sword up to counter, she was already gone. "To nothing."

Setsuna blinked and her katana was no longer in her hands. She slowly moved her head to see it land a few yards away. And when she looked the other way, Yoshiko stood there, her katana sheathed once again.

_What just happened? I didn't even feel her sword touch mine. And it was so quick, my mind couldn't even keep up. This is… Void style? I've always heard it was insanely powerful, but I never imagined something like this._

"Well, it was inevitable for a normal demon slayer to lose against a fallen angel. Are you satisfied, Devour?"

"Haha!" Setsuna jumped up, her katana appearing in her hand once again, a big smile on her face. "That's just what I wanted! Come on, Void! Let's go another round!"

Without waiting for an answer, she moved in again, determined to at least get one clean strike in. "Devour style, 7th blade." Setsuna closed in, Yoshiko placing her hand back on the hilt of her katana. "Void style, 4th blade." Setsuna stopped just as she came within striking distance of the girl, flipping her katana around and sheathing it. Her eyes were closed, and Yoshiko hesitated to strike her, wondering briefly if she had just surrendered the duel. But that brief moment of distraction was exactly what the girl had hoped for. "Close."

The ground in front of Setsuna was torn to nothing. Rock, dirt, grass, all gone in an instant, deep lines appearing in what was left. But even though she knew that she couldn't have done better, she already knew the girl had dodged and didn't bother moving as the katana came to rest above her shoulder from behind.

"This duel is my win." Yoshiko said, drawing her katana back and shoving it into her sheath. "I'll admit it, though. Out of all of the blades I have seen aside from Void… that move was quite beautiful." Setsuna turned to say something, but when she did, Yoshiko was already gone.

* * *

"And it was over just like that!" Setsuna yelled, slamming her hands on the café table, drawing brief looks from the other patrons. "She was so powerful! I couldn't even land a scratch on her!"

"Aha… yeah, she does sound powerful, Setsuna-chan…" Honoka scratched her face, not really knowing what to say to the girl's enthusiasm. Tsubasa, who was sitting next to Honoka, just watched the enthusiastic girl with a smile. "Is there a reason you told that story in third person, though?"

The three had run into each other and decided to hang out for a bit. They were all fellow demon slayers around the same age, so Honoka figured it wouldn't be a bad idea for them all to get to know each other a little more. But when she had asked Setsuna to talk about herself, she launched into a tangent that somehow led to her story of when she fought Void. Though Honoka had been curious about it, she hadn't really expected the conversation to turn in that direction.

Setuna suddenly looked like a realization had dawned on her and she pulled her phone out. "Ah, I'm late!" She picked up her drink and drained the rest of it. "Later you two! Let's talk again, Four Seasons, Sound!" With that, she sprinted out the shop and down the street.

"Setsuna-chan… really is something else…"

"Mm…"

Without breaking a sweat, Setsuna sprinted away, moving through people, making sure to not knock anyone down, a smile on her face despite her predicament. She had nearly forgotten that today was the day she had agreed to meet up with the heir to the Sky. Why? Because she had challenged her to a duel, of course. She wanted to duel every other heir because, well, fighting was fun for her. Every time she fought a powerful opponent, she had the time of her life and fighting other heirs was perfect for her.

Or that was her plan. Her nose twitched as it caught a familiar scent and she laughed, knowing she was going to have to make Sky wait, not that Sky had particularly wanted to duel her in the first place. That was the scent of a demon and who was she to deny her duty as a demon slayer? Setsuna moved off the main street into a back alley where she was free to move at inhuman speeds, but there was something wrong. As she got closer, she picked up the scent of living beings around the beast, but not other demon slayers. Normal humans.

"Ah, what a pain." She mumbled as she arrived in front of a semi-rundown apartment complex. It was still in use, so she would have to be careful about randomly summoning her katana. The last thing she needed was some random passerby calling the cops because some girl was running around their apartment complex waving a sword. She opted to use the stairs, her nose alerting her that the demon was only on the third floor. She peeked around the corner and smelled nothing. It was definitely in one of the rooms. She figured that was probably good for her since she could fight without worrying about somebody passing by. However, the scent of the humans was still strong. There were three of them. Why hadn't the demon killed them already?

After sniffing out the exact room, she took a deep breath before trying the doorknob and finding, to her surprise, that the door was open. She took a step in and shut and locked it, making sure that nobody would happen upon them. As soon as her focus shifted from the door, the strong smell of blood hit her, hard enough to make her flinch. And then she heard that sound she dreaded so much, the sound of flesh being torn from a body. She ran down the narrow hallway, busting open the door to the living area. Though she couldn't see it, she could already tell its shape and location from smell alone. A large demon, one that almost reached the ceiling in height was crouched over a corpse of a man and woman, rending flesh from the bones and shoving handfuls into its mouth. In the corner, three young children, two girls and one boy were cowering in fear. Well, the boy was clearly shaking, but he stood in front of his sisters as if ready to take on the demon if it came for them. Setsuna smiled at that.

_What a strong boy. If I was your age, I would be on the ground crying. But you're even willing to stand up for your sisters like that. Well, I can't just let someone like that die, now can I?_

"I, Yuuki Setsuna, heir to the Devouring Sword, will now dispose of you. Boy, you keep your sisters safe, alright? Let Onee-chan take care of this guy." She tossed him a wink and the boy stopped shaking and nodded, his face filled with determination. "Now, as for you." Setsuna summoned her katana to her side.

The demon turned to regard her, and a guttural sound escaped its throat, flesh and blood flying from its mouth. Setsuna tightened her grip on her sword and took a step forward. "It's almost not fair that you're invisible, but when you have a nose as good as mine, I might as well see you anyways." She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath through her nose, building an image of the room that included the demon. And now she was ready to fight. The demon's arm reached out, elongating so that it could get to the girl, nasty bloody claws aimed for her stomach. "Devour style, 1st blade." As the arm was about to reach her, she struck out, the entire length of the arm being cut straight down the middle and then again across, the bloody limb falling to the ground. "Dragon's jaw."

The demon roared and Setsuna laughed. "You lowly scum need to realize your place in the world! Devour style, 4th blade." She began to make her way towards it, but the limb on the floor began to shake violently before all the blood shot out in bursts at her. She dodged it and noticed the blood shot with such force that it tore holes in the ceiling. She could only hope that none of the tenants above them would be hurt as she dodged all around, making sure that the blood didn't get close to her. But she had neglected the demon itself in her dodging and as she turned, she saw the other claw heading her way. Managing to turn slightly to avoid the claw tearing through her stomach, it still got a nasty gash on her side, making her stumble for a second.

"That's more like it! This is exciting! Devour style, 5th blade." She jumped forward, more blood spurting all around her, but she bobbed and weaved around it until she stood in front of the demon, its arm still extended from striking her seconds ago. "Hunted prey." Her sword tore through the extended arm, the limb being torn to shreds in the process. "Devour style, 7th blade." The demon tried to regenerate its arms, but Setsuna sheathed her sword and stepped past it, reaching down and covering the boy's eyes. The demon was torn into absolutely nothing, not a trace left behind aside from the arms that had already been cut off. "Close."

Afterwards, Setsuna led the three out of the apartment and waited for the cleanup crew to arrive along with a recovery crew meant for children whose parents were killed. She promised the boy that they would be okay and told him to protect the girls before waving farewell and leaving.

_Ah, that's always a hard part of the job. I don't really want to see kids like that. Really shows you how shitty the world is, huh? Ah, well, can't stay sad forever, Setsuna! Cheer up! You saved them at least. That's right!_

A smile came to her face and she sprinted down the street, convinced she wouldn't make it in time for her duel but deciding to show up and challenge Sky no matter what.

"Setsuna, go!"

* * *

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	14. Nishikino Maki I

**Well, here's some more combat stuff.**

**And no, I didn't forget about that detail from last chapter. Just wait until Setsuna's next chapter.**

* * *

**7 days until the dinner party**

Maki slowly ran her fingers along the length of her katana's sheath, remembering the feeling of using a blade again after so long. No matter how long she went without touching it, the blades came to her as if they were already engraved into her soul. Her thoughts flowed back to hitting that gargoyle. It felt good. Incredibly so. All this time, she turned her back to the Moon, believing that she was walking the correct path. And it was far too late now. Another heir to the Moon had already been chosen and trained.

From the view of her window, she saw the moon in the night sky and wondered if she had truly made the best decision for her. If Honoka had become a demon slayer before she quit, maybe she would have felt encouraged to continue her training. The thoughts of her quitting had haunted her for a long while, but for just a brief period of time she was able to forget about it when she performed with her friends as idols. But now that those times had ended and she felt like she was dragged back into that world, the memories never stopped.

Memories of all her training. Memories of the times Seira had showed her the basics of the sword. Moon style was already a part of who she was, and she knew that as long as she lived, she would never forget the blades she had learned. Whether for better or worse, she could never truly escape the world she ran away from. Maki stood and brought her sword out behind their mansion, to the private training ground she had used so much years ago. The dummies were set up as usual, always waiting for a skilled swordsman to test their blade. Maki nervously gripped the hilt of her sword, eager to try another blade but knowing that if she did, she would truly be sucked back into that world.

_But would that be so bad?_

The thought echoed in her head and no amount of shaking her head could dismiss it. "Moon style… 6th blade…" She bit her lower lip, trying to stop herself, but she felt her blood rushing, heartrate rising. She was excited. Excited to wield a sword once again. Excited to see how her skills had preserved. She drew her katana partway from the sheath and slammed it back in. "… Lunar eclipse." The target dummy in front of her was completely destroyed from the attack along with all the ground around it and past it. "Ah… I overdid it…" This would definitely be noticed by her mother, which made her uncomfortable. What would her mother think if she saw her practicing after she had already forsaken the Moon?

So many thoughts flooded her head and she held up her hand to see it shaking, but not form nervousness, from excitement. That felt so good. Drawing her blade, if even against these dummies, felt so good. Her heart felt so light and she found a smile creeping onto her face that she couldn't get rid of. Why did it feel so good? It should feel terrible. She should feel ashamed. But why?

"Screw you, Moon!" She screamed. "Let me forget about these damn blades already! Stop haunting me!" She pulled her katana out and pointed it at the moon overhead. "I just… I…" The moonlight reflecting off her blade gave a serene air to the scene and she slowly lowered her sword and sheathed it. "Why…?" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Why do I want to use this blade so badly?"

"Because you were chosen." Maki turned around, bringing her sword to bear, but lowered it when she saw her mother standing next to the back exit to the house.

"Mama?" Maki hastily wiped her tears away. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be handling stuff at HQ?" She didn't even notice that her sword was still in hand, but she tightened her grip around it, embarrassment making her cheeks flush. Her mother laughed and walked up to her daughter, wrapping her arms around her. "M-Mama?"

"It's okay, Maki." She stroked her hair gently, whispering comfortingly. "It's okay to be conflicted. Turning away from the Moon was a big choice for you. But no matter what you choose, to continue to look away from the Moon or to turn back to it, I'll be here for you. Don't feel pressured. No matter what, your father and I will still love you."

Maki didn't reply, but dropped the sword and returned her mother's hug, crying into her shoulder. Even if her mother said that, it didn't feel that simple to her. It wasn't just "turning back to the Moon." Maki had forsaken the Moon in pursuit of a normal life, in pursuit of a world where she would have no need to fight demons and would no longer need to see death and suffering. But she knew that was selfish and immature. The decision being made for her had upset her and she believed that was part of why she started to feel bored and annoyed with training. But now…

They released each other and Maki reached down, picking her sword back up. She sniffled and wiped away her tears once again, bringing her sword to her hip. A deep breath. "Moon style, 4th blade." Her mother smiled and took a step back, watching something she hadn't seen in years, the beautiful blade of her daughter in action. "Blood moon."

* * *

"So, that's why you called me here?" Honoka asked, tilting her head. Hanayo and Maki's mother stood off to the side, Honoka standing next to Maki behind the Nishikino mansion.

"Mm. Besides Seira-san, you're the only demon slayer I really know right now. So, I'd like to see just how much skill I've kept and the only real way to do that is through actual combat. Mama actually recommended that I invite you over to spar anyways. I think she might want to… talk about _that_ as well."

"Oh!" Honoka smiled big and hugged her friend. "Even if it's bad news, thank you, Maki-chan. As thanks…" She let go and backed off a few meters, summoning her katana to her side. "I'll really make you work hard this practice session."

Maki summoned her own katana. "I wouldn't have it any other way." Honoka glanced towards her friend's mother and narrowed her eyes a bit. Besides when she was first training, she hadn't been under direct scrutiny from a Head. Now was her time to show off even though she knew she should hold back against Maki.

"Four seasons, winter style, 5th blade." Honoka dashed forward, one hand on the hilt of her katana. She drew it as she came within striking distance and Maki struck out to block, but Honoka vanished and appeared above her striking down. "Moon style, 1st blade." And, to Honoka's shock, Maki vanished before her sword ever reached the girl. Almost to mock Honoka, Maki appeared above her and came down with her sword. "Moonlight." But her sword went through the image of the girl and when she reached the ground, she drew her sword up just in time to block a hit from the girl who appeared in front of her. "Shimmer Twice. Ha. You're pretty good, Maki-chan. Let's step it up a notch!" Honoka jumped back and sheathed her sword once again. "Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." She vanished once again, but Maki already predicted the outcome of this blade. "Moon style, 2nd blade." Although she couldn't move at quite that speed too much, she charged forward, knowing Honoka was doing the same, but her blade held far out behind her. Honoka appeared in front of her, sword aimed for her chest, but Maki was already ahead of her, jumping past her. "Waning moon." And a force that completely caught Honoka off guard assaulted her blade, nearly knocking it from her hands.

Honoka caught her balance and turned to look at Maki whose breathing was a bit labored, which she expected after she exerted herself so much after not using blades for so long. "Looks like you could use a break, Maki-chan. So, I'll end it with this. Four seasons, summer style, 1st blade." Honoka calmly walked forward, her hand resting on the hilt of her katana, a disarming smile on her face. "Moon style… 4th blade…" Maki was pretty much already at her limit. Her body wasn't used to pushing its bounds so far multiple times in a row. From the stiffness in her legs, she could already tell she would have hell to pay for this practice tomorrow, but for now she just wanted to block Honoka's next move. If she could just do that…!

"Blood moon." "Lammas."

Maki came out behind the girl, believing it to be her victory, but she stopped, looking to her hands. Nothing. A thunk sounded as her katana stuck into the ground several yards away. And behind her Honoka slowly sheathed her sword. "It's my victory, Maki-chan."

"Yeah…" Maki fell to her knees, her sheath and katana vanishing. "Ah… I haven't been this tired… in so long… I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow…" Honoka ran over to her to help her up and she graciously accepted the help. They moved past her mother, Honoka tossing her a blank glance as they passed, somewhat unsure of what to think of the woman.

"Well, it's good to be able to speak to you, Honoka, heir to the Four Seasons." After she had helped Maki to her bed, Maki passed out immediately and her mother offered Honoka some tea for her help, so they sat across from each other in their dining room, Honoka not touching the cup in front of her. "I've always wanted to speak with you, but I didn't think it would be a good idea. After all, Maki didn't want her friends to know about the life she left behind. But, I'm grateful. Thank to you, it seems the Maki has once again embraced the Moon."

Honoka absently flicked the cup in front of her, a small ring echoing through the large room. "It's nothing. I don't believe an heir can truly leave behind their blade. After how much we practice, how much blood and sweat we pour into our swordplay, it becomes a part of us. I'm sure part of Maki-chan always wanted to return to the Moon. Just as I'll never leave the Four Seasons, Maki-chan will probably never leave the Moon."

Maki's mother smiled at that and took a long sip of her tea, her eyes never leaving the girl in front of her. "You've certainly changed since I spoke to you before your death. Back then, you were a school idol, chasing that dream to its ends. But seeing you now, I can't imagine that you've ever been anything but a demon slayer. You're the prodigy of our generation along with Void. If you two fought together, I'm sure you could conquer the world."

"I have yet to meet Void and I have no desire to conquer the world. Thanks for your praise, I guess. I seem to be getting a lot of that lately, but I still haven't found this special thing about me that everybody is praising me for. Anybody can master blades if they try hard enough. I wanted to master the Four Seasons, so I did. That's all there is to it." She finally picked up the cup of tea and took a sip. "I mean no offense when I say this, Nishikino-sama, but I get a strange feeling around you, so please don't mind me being wary."

"Ah, that's fine. I get that a lot from demon slayers." She flashed a disarming smile, but Honoka felt the need to summon her katana when she saw it but held back. "But well, I was just wondering… if you and your master are possibly hiding something from me."

Honoka stopped, the cup midway through the trip to her lips and she slammed it back on the saucer, cracking it. "I'd appreciate it if you would leave my master out of our discussion, Nishikino-_sama_." She spat the honorific with venom. Honoka really didn't know why she was acting that way, but the weird feeling she was getting… it wasn't normal. Every instinct told her to either attack the woman or run away. She was dangerous and she was clearly threatening the girl and her master. Even before she had spoken though, Honoka couldn't help but be cautious of her. Something just wasn't right.

"Ah, my apologies. Well, let's have a change of topic then. Maki actually recently spoke to me about your request. You wish to see your family, right?" For some reason, the timing of this topic put the girl on edge, but she nodded. "Seeing as how much you've improved in the past year, I believe we can allow that. Of course, even if you were able to interact with them, we would expect you to do it in moderation. And if any of them leak information about demon slayers, they will be punished accordingly. Also, you will not be allowed to live with them like before. Your first priority will remain your duty as a demon slayer. Anything else comes second to that."

"Of course."

Maki's mother sighed and genuine soft smile came to her face as she stood. "I'm glad you didn't contact without permission. That's a large factor in this decision. I'll discuss it with the other Heads and let you know of the final decision. Also…" She turned away, but Honoka heard sincerity in her next statement. "Thank you for helping Maki. Now then, it's late. You should really be getting home."

Honoka finally relaxed, that feeling from before gone. She remained a little wary, but kind of regretted how she had acted towards her friend's mother. She walked to the front door and turned to face the woman as she left. "Thank you, Nishikino-sama. Take good care of Maki." With that, she turned and sprinted off into the darkness.

"Mm. I expect great things from you, Four Seasons."

* * *

"Ah… oh… yeah, that's what I thought." Maki opened her eyes and tried to sit up, the soreness caused by the day before making her arms and legs ache so badly, she was pretty sure it would be a bad idea to get up today. Memories of her fight with Honoka last night flowed back into her mind and she found herself smiling. "Thank you, Honoka." She mumbled.

She had to admit, despite the pain, she felt happy. Later, she would have to thank Honoka again, Part of her definitely felt hesitant about stepping foot into that world again, but another part of her felt ecstatic. She wanted to user her blades against demons. But she would need to put herself on a really strict training regimen. After all, she hadn't been on one for years now. If she was going to have to potentially fight every day, she would need a lot more stamina.

"Just you wait, Honoka. I'm on my way to catch up. And you stay right where you are, you damn Moon. I'll grasp you once again, just like back then. It's time again."

* * *

**That's it for now. Sorry about all these chapters not being Honoka-centric. There are a lot of things I need to establish with a lot of different characters before the climax.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	15. Interlude - Sun in Void

**A short interlude.**

* * *

**6 days until the dinner party**

"Eh? Fight the Third Demon Lord?" Chika tilted her head. "I guess if I'm not busy that day. I'd like to know ahead of time, though…"

Riko stepped up and gave a small bow. "Sorry, Yoshiko-san. Chika here doesn't really know when to not joke around." She elbowed her partner in the side. "If we can help, I'm sure Chika would be ecstatic to."

"Hmph. Master will be happy to hear that. We will be cooperating with Sound as well. And no word of this is to reach the Heads. Are we clear on that?" Both of the girls nodded. "Then, I'll take my leave."

As she turned to leave, Chika grabbed her sleeve, stopping her. "Woah, there. I didn't say I would do this for free. Come on, Void. You came all the way out here to find me when I was out of the city for training. We have all the room in the world for a duel. You wouldn't turn one down, right? Unless the Void can't face the light of the Sun." She smirked as she made the last remark. Yoshiko yanked her arm away, her katana appearing at her side.

"Fine then. Have it your way, Sun." she walked forward a few meters and turned to face the girl. "Come."

"C-Chika!?" Riko yelled, but Chika just gave a thumbs up and motioned for her to move away which she did so immediately, not wanting to get caught up in whatever kind of fight she was about to witness.

"I, Takami Chika, heir to the Sun, will fight with everything I have." Chika thought that was something of an impression of Honoka and she summoned her katana.

"Ha. I, fallen angel Yohane of the Void, accept your challenge."

Both stared at each other for a few seconds before Chika opened like how she opened every duel. "Sun style, 7th blade, Sunburst." Without missing a beat, Yoshiko drew her sword and easily deflected the attack, destroying the ground to her right. But Chika was dashing in now, hand firmly gripping her katana. "Sun style, 3rd blade." Yoshiko prepared no blade and when Chika jumped past her, "Solar winds," she seemed completely unfazed by the attack, somehow blocking every slash without visibly lifting her sword.

"I'm disappointed, Sun. I've heard so many things about you. Though I hate to admit it, I looked forward to dueling you someday."

"Haha! Well then, I guess I'll give you a little taste of how strong I am, Void! Sun style, 8th blade." Chika ran for her again, Yoshiko narrowing her eyes. Something had changed about her. She struggled to keep her eyes on the girl, feeling as if she was staring into the Sun itself. A smirk made its way onto her face and she gripped her hilt. "That's more like it. Void style, 5th blade." Before Chika even neared her, she felt attacks coming in from practically every angle. How Yoshiko was launching those attacks, she had no idea given the distance still between them, but as if that was enough to deter her. "Supernova." Chika slammed her sword into the ground, tearing up dirt and rock, blasting everything around her into oblivion, obstructing Yoshiko's sight of her. Yoshiko kept her eyes on the dust and rubble, but Chika came in from the opposite direction, behind her. "Closed chapter." And once again, Chika felt it, attacks coming in from every conceivable angle. There was no way to dodge them. Yoshiko smiled, knowing her victory was at hand, but she saw Chika's lips moving.

"Sun style, 9th blade." For a split second, Yoshiko believed she saw an eruption of fire from the girl, as her sword pierced everywhere, deflecting what Yoshiko had believed to be a perfect blade. Not a single hit reached her. "Superflare. And once again, Void! Sun style, 8th blade." Yoshiko brought her blade up to block, but when that katana came into contact with hers, she knew she had no hope of overpowering this girl with sheer strength. So, she drew back, jumping far back, Chika's sword continuing, destroying the landscape beneath it, blowing away everything in its path. Chika swung the blade out and brought it back to her side. "Supernova. Ahaha, you backed away from that one, Void. Come on, show me your true power. If that blade is the best you can do, you don't stand a chance!"

"Unfortunately, holding back with Void style is very difficult, but I'll step it up a notch just for you, Sun." Yoshiko held her sword above her. "Void style, 7th blade." Chika laughed, bringing her own sword to bare once again. "If you're doing that just for me, I guess I have to step it up too! Sun style, 10th blade."

Riko watched in utter awe as the two clashed blades, the terrain around them blown away to nothing. Yoshiko, her blade a perfect nothing that struck with such confidence and speed that it made her heart race. Chika, her blade as bright as the burning Sun, wiping away anything and everything in its path with single strikes, the image of that sword's destruction burned into her mind. Blows traded back and forth, each one sending a gust that blew Riko's hair behind her. She truly believed that she was watching a battle between two true masters of the blade. Destruction, flames, nothing. This was a fight Riko knew she could never share even if she tried. To try to use words to describe this fight was an injustice.

"Sun style, 10th blade." "Void style, 4th blade."

The force of a thousand suns. The absolute nothingness of the void. Riko struggled to stand against the force of these demon slayers clashing blades. No, in that moment, they were nothing more or less than two swordswomen. Two girl who had surpassed any other. Riko thought back to Chika's fight with Four Seasons, a fight that Chika could not possibly have taken seriously. If she had, the fight would have been over in just one move. She knew that now. Void, arguably the most powerful up and coming demon slayer, even struggled against the force of the Sun, of Chika.

Chika had wanted to train in solitude, so they had gone to find a flat plateau near a mountain and Riko was glad that they had. This pure destruction she was witnessing… a city couldn't have survived if it was nearby. These two girls moved faster than even her eyes could keep up with, striking at each other, dodging each other's blades, countering them, deflecting them, laughing at them, praising them, fearing them, facing them head on. Neither hesitated a single time. Neither underestimated their opponent now. They both knew who they were facing. Blades clashed again and Riko watched as a chunk of the mountain they stood next to was destroyed, just from one deflected blade. Yes, this was a battle between two demon slayers, but at the same time… so much more. Chika's flames mixed with Yoshiko's Void, a dance of both everything and nothing.

"Aha, you're really something, Void-chan." Chika raised her sword and pointed it at the girl. "I've never met anybody who can stop every single one of my blades. It's so much fun fighting someone so powerful. I'm glad I got this chance."

"The same goes for me, Sun. Never did I think the day would come when I would get to face such a powerful opponent other than a Demon Lord itself. Long have I waited for the chance to prove my skills, my blades. To challenge the Void for this long is nothing short of a miracle… no. I will not discount your strength. To face the Void for so long is a feat I would never have thought possible. You've truly shown me something I could never have dreamed of." She lifted her sword, pointing it at the girl across the way. "This fallen angel, Yohane-sama, acknowledges you, Sun."

"Haha! I'm glad, that means something coming from Void-chan herself. Well then, let's end it with our next blades. I'll show you the true power of the Sun."

"I would have it no other way. I'll let you witness true nothingness."

"Sun style, 11th blade."

"Void style, 1st blade."

"Black hole." "Null."

* * *

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	16. Eli & Nozomi

**Big stuff coming.**

* * *

**6 days until the dinner party**

Hanayo glanced around the corner and, seeing nothing, motioned or Honoka to follow her as she ran to the building, this one with lights still on inside. The two were moving across a university campus, a demon apparently having been detected here, but people often stayed late on campus, not to mention security could be roaming the area. In short, they believed all kinds of problems could arise at any moment, so they just wanted to find this demon and be out of there as quickly as possible.

After no luck finding the thing roaming around, they figured it must be inside one of the buildings, so they started with the Arts building. The lights were on in the front entrance and the door was unlocked, but most of the hallway lights were off, so they treaded carefully, Hanayo glancing in every direction for any movement. The classrooms gave them no luck, but there was still a set of double doors that led into the theatre. As they crept closer though, they could hear soft voices interrupting the silence and Honoka gently pushed open the doors and snuck in, crouching behind some chairs with her friend.

They peaked around the corner and, with their luck, they saw a very familiar face on the stage and another very familiar face below her, speaking up to her.

"Come on, Elicchi, it'll only be for a minute. Just read some lines for me! It's so hard to practice by myself~" Nozomi was begging her friend to get up on stage with her and Honoka could only snicker that.

"Y-You don't need me to do it, Nozomi. Ask somebody else next time that's actually in the drama club to stay late with you. I don't want to get on stage anyways. It's embarrassing." Eli folded her arms and looked away.

"But it's just you and me, Elicchi! I wouldn't ask if there were other people." There were, in fact, two other people watching them quite intensely.

After a bit of arguing back and forth, Eli finally gave in, as Honoka thought she probably always did, and got on stage. She was handed a script and she began to quietly mumble off lines to a play that neither of the girls recognized. But Nozomi read her lines with confidence, her voice sending shivers up Honoka's spine, the performance kind of entrancing even though she was just practicing. Honoka snapped out of it when her friend tapped her should and a look of urgency came over her. Honoka nodded and closed her eyes, hearing her friend's already soft voice whisper, "I offer my heart."

Hanayo had been looking towards a window near the top back of the theatre, probably the teach room to control the lights and stage effects. But Honoka noticed what her partner was so panicky about. Perched on a small overhang above that window was a humanoid creature with tattered wings and talons so long they could wrap around a person's neck. A disgusting half-human, half-bird face was staring down at the two girls on stage.

"Tch. Of course, we happen to end up at the university they go to and of course they stay late the day a demon decides to make this place its hunting grounds. Hanayo, if I need to rush out, don't come too close. It'll already be hard for me to protect those two. I'll just hope I can draw its attention."

They waited, watching the thing which, for a while, seemed content just watching the two girls, but it soon started shifting impatiently. Maybe it was waiting for one of the girls to be alone, but Nozomi was so absorbed in reading her lines that they figured that wouldn't be happening anytime soon. And just as Nozomi finished a particularly dramatic series of loud lines, the thing jumped from its perch and landed without a sound in the back of the theatre. It stood straight, at least as tall as a grown man and began walking towards the stage.

The two looked towards the stage, ready to run out and yell for those two to do the same. But they were currently locked in an embrace, sucking each other's faces. "…" Both of the girls had no words to comment on the situation and Honoka almost hesitated in running out, but what good would it do her to let them make out if it would cause their deaths? She sighed and stood straight, taking a few steps out. Unsurprisingly, neither of the girls noticed her at first, only breaking their embrace when she began to speak.

"Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." Honoka vanished from their sight and appeared next to the beast, her sword striking out, but with incredible speed, the beast lifted up its foot, the talon around it easily deflecting the girl's blade and a swipe of its claw tore a gash in Honoka's shoulder making her jump back. "Honoka!?" She heard two voices yell out, but ignored them, thankful that Hanayo kept her eyes solely on the demon. A loud screech escaped its mouth and the two girls on stage had to cover their ears. The demon began barreling towards Honoka, tearing through seats as if they weren't there. Hundreds of feathers shot from the wings in all directions, but they turned around, all homing in on Honoka. "Four seasons, winter style, 2nd blade, Blizzard." Just as the feathers neared her, they were all simultaneously slashed, falling to the ground, harmless. "Four seasons, summer style, 1st blade." She waited until the demon was right in front of her, drawing its claws back. "Lammas." The claws never reached her. As they closed in, they were sliced apart and then shoulders and then the beast's head. The body fell to the ground, writhing still.

"Honoka-chan!"

"Four seasons, winter style, 5th blade." Honoka spoke the words right after her friend yelled. She had been distracted from the kill, but through Hanayo's eyes she saw another of the beasts descending on her from above. It crashed through her, but she vanished, appearing above it. "Shimmer." And she drew her blade, slicing one of the wings off. The beast roared in pain, but Honoka stepped past it. "Four seasons, spring style, 1st blade, First bloom." The beast's back burst into blood and it fell next to its companion. Had there been an issue in counting exactly how many demons were here?

Clearly that was the case as two more dropped from the darkness above, one in front and one behind the girl. Luckily, since she was using Hanayo's eyes, she could see both of them at the same time. "Four seasons, spring style, 2nd blade." She dashed forward, past the one in front of her, delivering hundreds of cuts along its body. It screamed in pain, but she turned on her heel and cleanly sliced its head off. "Blooming flowers. Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." Immediately after killing that one, she turned, sheathing her katana and vanished, coming out next to the other one. But this one, like the first, was ready with a talon to block her sword and she found herself unable to puncture that talon with her blade, but she turned her grip as her sword came against the talon. "Four seasons, spring style, 5th blade." She guided the talon lower and quickly reversed her grip, bringing her katana up and through the neck of the beast. "Spring breeze."

And then there was silence. She waited for a bit, but no more demons came forth, so she sheathed the sword and let it disappear, opening her eyes to break her connection with Hanayo who rushed to her side from her cover.

"Ah… that was some good exercise at least." Honoka said with a laugh. "Plus…" She walked over to the stage and smirked at the two girls who were clearly confused as, to them, it just looked like Honoka had been swinging her sword at nothing. "I got to see something interesting."

* * *

"You guys should tell me if you're dating~!" Honoka pouted, pretending to slam her fists on the table.

After a particularly long conversation about the fact that it really was a coincidence the two happened to go to that school to kill demons at that time, one which they were only convinced of when Hanayo let them see the corpses, they understood. And then they had to convince the girls to leave so they could call the cleanup crew without the two girls getting caught. And now all four girls sat in café together, Honoka and Hanayo with the hoods of their jackets pulled tight, hoping to avoid any recognition. Hanayo had brought along some bandages and had cleaned and wrapped up Honoka's wound, but the conspicuous slash marks in her hoodie were still there.

"I-It just didn't come up… and it was only a month ago…" Eli looked terribly embarrassed to be having this conversation and refused to look at the girl next to her who slung her arm around her girlfriend and smiled at the two.

"Elicchi is just shy! We haven't even told the other girls yet because of that. Sometimes I worry that she's embarrassed to be dating me…" Nozomi looked down sullenly, but the other three knew it was just an act.

"Ahhh, so much happened while we were dead, we missed out on everything~!"

"H-Honoka-chan." Hanayo nudged her. "They said it only happened a month ago, anyways."

"But~!"

Nozomi giggled and they all looked at her. She wrapped her arms around Eli's arm. "Well, you know now, so it's all fine, right? Besides, we're adults now and adults have some secrets they need to keep, you know." She put a finger to her lips and Eli's face turned red as she hissed, "Nozomi!", in her direction, but that just made the girl laugh again.

Honoka smiled, glad to see how far their friends had come even with the two of them dead. She had a fear that their deaths might keep them back in some way, but that clearly hadn't happened. A silent sigh of relief. Now she felt a little more ready. A little more ready for this "party" that they were to attend. If this demon, Pestilence, is actually a Demon Lord, or even a direct subordinate of one, who knows what will happen? Honoka had absolute faith in her master, but even so, without knowing what they're up against, the possibility of them losing was real, if it even came to that. There was no guarantee they would have to end up fighting there, but why else would a high rank demon go out of its way to contact Seira? Something wasn't right. Honoka could feel it… a similar feeling to when she spoke with Maki's mother.

"Honoka?"

"Eh?" She looked up, noticing the other three girls were giving her worried looks. "Ah, it's nothing! I was just thinking it would be nice if I could get a lover too someday, but that seems so far away~" They all laughed at that and Honoka was glad she got that awkward mood out of there as quickly as possible. The last thing she needed was for her friends to worry about her. Nobody could know about this dinner party, save possibly Hanayo. And even then, she hadn't told her about it. There was just too much she didn't know. Telling them would just make them tell her not to go. But she wasn't about to let her master go alone. She still felt like she owed so much to Seira and she loved her master.

Just as the conversation began to start up again, the door opened, a girl with black hair walking in and glancing around before settling her eyes on Honoka. She walked up to stand in front of their table, drawing the gazes of all the girls.

"Four Seasons…" She tossed a passive glance over the two girls who she knew to be ordinary humans. "I am fallen angel Yohane of the Void. I've come to speak with you." Another glance at the two girls. "But, well… I see. Friends from your past life? Don't worry, I won't tell HQ. I suppose I'll save this for another time then." She turned to leave but Honoka grabbed her sleeve.

"You're Void, right? Come on, sit down and talk for a bit. This place has great parfaits, you know." For a brief second, Yoshiko's eyes lit up, but she cleared her throat.

"I-I suppose I can stay for a bit." So, she said, but when the waitress came over, she ordered the largest parfait they had and dug into it with vigor. "Delicious…" Honoka giggled at that. "So, if you're addressing me as Void, I assume that means you've told them about us, correct?" Yoshiko threw yet another passive glance at the two.

Nozomi and Eli shifted uncomfortably against that cold look. It was almost as if she wasn't looking at humans. Yoshiko just sighed at their reactions and took another large bite from the parfait before glancing Honoka and Hanayo's way for an answer.

"T-That's right. It was kind of inevitable since they ended up being attacked by a gargoyle that we had to take out. And we had thought about contacting them before anyways… You never contacted your old friends, um… calling you Void is kind of awkward…"

"Hmph. I don't mind, but since we're having an amicable conversation, I guess there's no helping it. In my first life, I was given the name Tsushima Yoshiko. But in this life, I am fallen angel Yoha-…"

"Yoshiko-chan, then!"

"H-Hey…"

"You never contacted any of your old friends, Yoshiko-chan?"

A brief flash of something Honoka couldn't quite identify passed Yoshiko's eyes before she spoke. "… I did. Just one. However, it proved useless as she was killed by a demon, like us."

"Eh? You mean?"

"Mm. The current heir to Light was a friend of mine in my past life. However, now that she is a demon slayer…" Yoshiko cleared her throat. "Anyways, the point is that I did. Either way, I don't care what you do. My Master, much like yours, is distrustful of HQ to an extent. Therefore, we feel no obligation to tell them about your circumstances. Ah, I didn't mean to direct the conversation in this direction." Despite the looks she gave them earlier, she turned an apologetic look to the two ordinary girls. "My apologies. That was distasteful of me."

Yoshiko quickly finished her parfait and stood to leave, but not before a polite bow to the two girls and a few words to Honoka.

"Thank you… for the company. I'll contact again at a later date, Four Seasons."

"Honoka is fine, Yoshiko-chan."

"Listen here, Four Sea—"

"Honoka."

"Four—"

"Ho. No. Ka."

"… Farewell." She stormed towards the door but looked back, her eyes darting around awkwardly. "Honoka." And with that, she held her head high and charged out of the café. Honoka just laughed, drawing looks from their two normal friends.

"Is that normal?" Eli asked, considering the whole exchange.

"Haha, I guess. A lot of heirs and masters tend to refer to other demon slayers by their style. My sword style is Four Seasons, so that's what I'm called. Yoshiko-chan uses Void style, so Void. I'm also friends with Sun, Sound, and… kind of with Devour? Ah, and Maki-chan is Moon, of course. I don't really call people by their styles unless I don't know their name though."

After a bit more conversation unrelated to demon slayers they all left the café, Honoka and Hanayo deciding to walk the two girls home. Luckily, because they went to a local university, their homes weren't far. Eli was first and then Nozomi. But as Nozomi walked up to her door, Honoka called out.

"Hey, Nozomi-chan."

"Hm? What is it, Honoka?"

"Do you still do your tarot cards?"

With a flash, she had them in her hand, taken from somewhere neither of the girls could guess. "Who do you think I am? Haha. But jokes aside, is something troubling you?"

"Ah, well… I have this thing I'm doing with Master soon and…" She couldn't talk about the dinner party in front of Hanayo and she tried to express that to Nozomi as much as she could with body language. Nozomi seemed to pick up on it quickly and nodded her head with a knowing smile.

"Let's see, let's see." Nozomi handed the cards to Honoka who shuffled them and drew three, holding the cards out to the girl. "Hmm…" Nozomi frowned. "Something unexpected will happen soon… Hm. It's kind of unclear, but there's some kind of danger lurking in the near future. Be wary."

"Be wary." Maybe that demon really is…

"Be wary of your master." Nozomi placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you talked about how much you trust her, so I won't tell you to put all your faith in the cards but… Just be careful, Honoka." Nozomi shuffled the deck and turned back towards her house, throwing a wave at the two before entering.

"Master…"

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoy the buildup.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	17. Yoshiko & Ruby

**This is a little longer than the usual chapters, but when I got to writing towards the end, I ended up with more than I expected.**

**Hope you guys enjoy.**

* * *

**5 days until the dinner party**

"T-Thank you for agreeing to meet me with me, Riko-san." Hanayo fidgeted nervously, looking up at the tall apartment building Riko had given her the address of.

"It's nothing, really. You want to learn better barrier magic, right? If you have the aptitude for it, I can probably teach you a few useful ones fairly quickly. Literature may lead you to believe that magic takes a long time to learn, but because we draw on our demon blood to use magic, it's significantly easier for us." Riko explained as she led Hanayo to the elevator. They rode it to the top floor before getting off, Riko unlocking the door to a large apartment, easily ten times the size, or more, of their own apartment. "Come on in."

A modern-style apartment awaited them, tons of room, a large kitchen, a big window with an amazing view. Tons of books and random objects were scattered around, Riko sighing as she saw that. Chika, who was sitting on one of the couches, a blue popsicle in her mouth and book in one hand, her eyes quickly scanning as she flipped pages. When she heard the two walk in, she popped the popsicle out of her mouth and turned to face them.

"Hey, Riko-chan, welcome home! And welcome to our abode, Hanayo-chan!" She ditched the book, throwing it to the side into another piles of books. Hanayo thought this looked almost too familiar to Seira's place and couldn't help but picture her partner's master doing the same thing.

"Sorry about Chika-chan. I told you to clean up." She walked by and hit Chika lightly on the head, a groan erupting from the orange-haired girl.

"Nice to see you again… Chika-san." Hanayo smiled as she walked over, and the demon slayer waved energetically.

"Mm! We're all in the same situation, so we should get along!" She said happily, popping the popsicle in her mouth once again. "If you want one, they're in the freezer~ Don't mind me. I'll be doing my own research while you and Riko-chan practice." Without even glancing at the cover, she grabbed a book off the ground and flipped to a random page and began, once again, intently scanning the pages.

Riko led Hanayo over towards the centre of their apartment.

"So, I think we should focus on small scale barriers. Or targeted barriers as some like to call them. Are you familiar with those, Hanayo-san?"

"No honorifics in my household!" Chika yelled from her position on the couch, not even bothering to look in their direction. The two girls giggled and nodded.

"I am, somewhat, Riko…chan." Riko nodded at that and thought for a second.

"Well, let's practice a few. All the barriers we'll be practicing will only be used on demons, so they'll have no effect on the physical world around us aside from them. This means that we can practice freely in here without having to go to some open area. Ah, but don't use them too close to the glass. Sometimes the force of creating them can send ripples in space which can crack glass. But aside from that, we should be fine."

Chika occasionally looked up from the book she was reading at the time to watch the two. Riko would help instruct Hanayo on all the aspects of a specific barrier, help her tune it so the barrier would be small, and then help her to direct it. Then Hanayo would try on her own, easily using the barrier on the first or second attempt. A smirk came to Chika's face as she watched.

_You and Four Seasons really are perfect partners. After all…_

"There!" Hanayo created a barrier only visible to her and Riko. Chika could feel it though ,the power resonating in the air, sending vibrations through space time. She stole a look at her partner who looked a bit shocked before recovering and complimenting Hanayo on her work.

_If Four Seasons is the most talented demon slayer born in the last decade, then you're surely… Is it really coincidence? The two of you were close friends prior to becoming demon slayer and partner. And now that you've tasted demon blood… I'm definitely looking forward to the results of this training. Surprise me, Hanayo-chan._

Chika let her eyes drift back to the book, her mind full of so many thoughts though that she paid no attention to the page.

_But does it mean anything? Koizumi Hanayo… Kousaka Honoka. I think I've already solved the mystery of Honoka-chan, but… Heh. Don't put more on my plate, Hanayo-chan. What am I going to do about this? With this stuff with Void-chan coming up, I won't be able to focus on you. Does that mean this is a challenge to solve your mystery before we face the Demon Lord? Do you think this is some kind of game? But, well… that doesn't sound half-bad to me._

She let the book fall out of her hands and grabbed a stack of papers, absently flipping through them, her eyes barely scanning the hundreds of words she was letting fall to the ground with each page.

_If my hypothesis is correct though… Then, the demon that attacked Hanayo-chan was… Ah, can't I just ask her about it? No, that would be strange. Maybe Riko-chan can peek into her memories… Nah, I don't want to find out that way. She probably doesn't remember anyways. Hell, she might not have even seen the demon that attacked her. There are plenty of demon slayers who don't remember or never saw them. But I can't let the tracks end here._

Another glance over at Hanayo, Chika still smirking, thinking about the possibilities, but always coming back to her original hypothesis. Everything just seemed to lack answers when compared to it. A light snicker escaped her mouth as she considered the game she had set up for herself. This would be fun. She stood, tossing the stack of papers to the side, drawing looks from the other two girls.

"I'm going to step out for a bit. Continue with you practice. Who knows when it might come in handy?" Chika let out a laugh, believing that time would be very soon, much sooner than anybody thought.

"Where are you going?" Riko asked, almost a bit concerned at the strange behavior.

"Just for a walk. I have a lot I need to think about." She threw Riko a wink, which the girl picked up on and nodded. "But don't let my absence stop you. I know, you'll miss the great Chika-chan! But I'll be back as soon as I can! Ah, the sadness!" Riko rushed up to her and pushed her out, knowing she would continue her little routine until Riko made her stop. "I'll pick up some cake on the way back and we can all eat it together!" She yelled right before Riko closed the door.

* * *

Chika looked up at the bright sky as she aimlessly walked around the streets of Tokyo. A serious look was plastered on her face as she remained deep in thought, unable to separate herself from those theories of hers even with so much noise around her.

"Ah, maybe I should go visit my family sometime." She said, finally breaking out of her thoughts, forcibly moving them in another direction. "It's been a long time now, anyways. I should convince Riko-chan to visit her parents too." In reality, she just wanted a distraction. Chika actually tried to visit her family as little as possible due to her circumstances. Every time, she knew her parents were filled with relief to see her, but also that they were hesitant and torn on letting her go out again knowing that she was fighting demons.

_If only they knew how strong I am. Maybe that would convince them. But, well, I can't really go off showing that kind of power around like it's nothing. If HQ heard about it, I would never hear the end of it. They're way too uptight over there. But, well, I can see the kind of panic the world might be thrown into if the existence of demons became common knowledge. People still wouldn't be able to see them or kill them, so what difference would it really make besides making everybody paranoid every second of the day? If anything, it might encourage demons to go on rampages._

Chika sighed, wanting nothing more than to be at a hotsprings inn again like that time with Honoka. Though she was a bit enthusiastic about fighting a Demon Lord, the wait was eating away at her. Jobs had been a bit slow, so she had had just been hanging out with Riko, which she enjoyed greatly, but they were running out of things to do with all their free time. And the time she wasn't hanging out with Riko, she was doing her own research.

An unsettling feeling of how the world would change soon wouldn't leave her alone. After all, they were attacking the Third Demon Lord. If they killed him, who knows what kind of effects that would have on demons and the remaining Demon Lords? Would they be pushed to attack humanity in greater numbers? Nobody even knew how powerful they were.

_There is a very real chance that we could die while facing the Third Demon Lord. However… Even with just Void and Sun, we would probably be fine, but we'll have Sound and possibly others with us as well. I doubt that even a Demon Lord could stand up to all of us. If they could, why would they have been hiding all this time? Unless, like the Fourth Demon Lord, the power of the other Demon Lords is waning as well. That would be boring, but it would definitely make the job easier._

Chika shook her head. Now she didn't even know what she wanted. Did she want a strong opponent to face down with the Sun? Or did she want a risk-free fight where they would guarantee themselves one step closer to eradicating all demons? Not that there was a guarantee that killing all the Demon Lords would even result in that, but that was all the demon slayers had to go on, so it had been their goal for as long as demons and demon slayers have existed.

Even when she first started, Chika's goal was never to "save the world" or anything like that. At first, she hated the very idea of becoming a demon slayer as well, but after partnering with Riko and learning the blades of the Sun, she began to feel more confident, more excited. And afterwards, her only goal had really been to "fight strong demons." That was honestly all she wanted. Even after regaining her family and friends, she knew that things could never go back to the way they were and she slowly drifted away from her past, seeing her friends and family less and less. Nowadays, she mostly visited her family on holidays if she could, but almost never visited her friends. They were all moving on with their lives, lives without Chika.

Of course, all of this was old news. Chika never felt sad about her situation anymore. After meeting her Master, she felt indebted, deciding that she would fight for their sake as well as her own. She had inherited the Sun and was determined to live long enough to pass it on to an heir of her own someday. Aside from Riko, the Sun was now the most precious thing in her life, something she held onto dearly, a warmth that supported her no matter what came her way. The Sun would never abandon her, and she would never abandon it. She was sure every demon slayer felt that way, both master and heir.

As she was lost in her thoughts, she felt herself bump into someone and heard a surprised gasp from a girl as she fell to the ground.

"A-Ah, I'm sorry!" Chika held her hand out to the short redhead that she had knocked over. "I wasn't paying attention at all! Are you hurt?" The redhead gratefully took her hand and stood.

"R-Ruby is fine… thank you."

_This girl is adorable!_

The shy redhead was looking around awkwardly, trying not to make eye contact with the heir to the Sun, something that Chika also found cute. She reached out and rubbed the girl on the head, eliciting a squeak of surprise from the shorter girl.

"W-What…?"

"Ahaha, sorry, sorry. You're just so cute, I couldn't help myself."

"C-Cute!?" A deep red blush came to Ruby's face, matching her hair, and she covered her face with her hands.

"Are you okay, um…?"

"Ah, um…" Ruby uncovered her face, fidgeting nervously. "K-Kurosawa… Ruby…"

"A cute name for a cute girl." Chika said while nodding, hand to her chin as if she was making a profound discovery. "I'm Takami Chika. Nice to meet you, Ruby-chan."

"Takami… Chika…?" Ruby tilted her head in thought, Chika just smiling and waiting for her question or remark. "You're… the heir to the Sun…?" Her voice was really quiet when she said it, but Chika heard it and laughed.

"Ah, you're one of us, huh? Come on, let's not talk about this here." She grabbed Ruby's hand and ran off, leading her off.

"Ah, that's good!" Chika exclaimed, taking far too large parfait in front of her as the waitress set another one down in front of Ruby. "Go on, eat up, eat up, it's my treat!"

Ruby hesitantly lifted the spoon to her mouth, but Chika could see the sparks in her eyes as the flavours washed over her tongue and she made another cute sound as she stated taking quicker bites. After they were both a good way through the desserts, Chika finally broke the silence of eating.

"So, you know about me, but who are you, Ruby-chan? I don't think we've ever met before, have we?"

"A-Ah, n-no… Ruby's just… heard a lot about you is all." She looked down for a second before perking back up, realizing that she hadn't answered the first question. "L-Like I said… I'm Kurosawa Ruby… heir to Light."

"Oh? You're the heir to Light, huh? Eh? Wait. Isn't the heir to Light supposed to be stationed somewhere in the Middle East? Last I heard, both the Master of Light and her heir were…"

"Ruby… just arrived in Tokyo yesterday."

"Oh, I see, I see. What are you here for, Ruby-chan? Did you get stationed here? But there are a lot of demon slayers already stationed here, so I doubt that… Four Seasons, Devour, Sound…" She was counting them on her fingers when Ruby spoke up.

Ruby was fidgeting nervously, something Chika found absolutely adorable, but didn't comment on.

"Ruby is… here to visit a friend. But… she doesn't know Ruby's coming… So, Ruby's kind of nervous meeting her… And Ruby doesn't really know where to find her, so…"

"Friend? A demon slayer?" Ruby nodded. "If you don't mind, I'll help you find her. What's her name?"

"Y-Yoshiko-chan… I mean… Tsushima Yoshiko. The heir to Void."

Chika tilted her head, eyeing this girl. Somebody wanted to meet Void? Really? Chika had assumed Void was the kind of person to not have any friends or at last not to admit it. Maybe that was the issue. A smirk crossed her face as she imagined Void's face when she brought her friend to see her. She liked that idea.

"Ah, yeah, I think I can help you with that. I'm pretty good friends with Void-chan myself." Chika flipped out her phone. She had basically forced Yoshiko into exchanging contact numbers because Yoshiko's promise of, "I'll gaze into the Void when I need to find you," wasn't good enough for her. After a few rings, the girl picked up. "Hey, Void-chan, I got something important to show you… Yeah, it's about the upcoming mission, super important… You're still in Tokyo, right?... Alright, meet me at… Yeah, that's fine… Alright, see you soon, Void-chan." She hung up and smiled at the redhead. "There you go. Come on, we'll be going to the park to see her."

"Eh? E-Eh?" Chika started walking out and Ruby had no choice but to chase after her. "Where are we going?"

"The park." That was the only explanation she gave. By the time they arrived at said park, the sun was just beginning to set, the sky dyed in orange. Chika didn't realize how long she had been out. Hanayo would probably be gone by the time she headed home, so the cake was probably out. "Ah, Void-chan!" Chika waved and raced up to the girl who was standing next to a statue in the middle of the park, dressed in all black as per usual.

"Sun. So, what is this important thing that you need to discuss? I'm quite busy right now, so please hurry it up." Yoshiko crossed her arms, looking the girl up and down as if expecting her to jump at her. But not in hostility. Yoshiko was afraid of the girl jumping for a hug or something.

"Well, I brought…" She looked to her side and saw nothing. "Eh?" Then she turned a little more and noticed Ruby was cowering behind her. She turned so she could keep the girl covered and lowered her voice to a whisper. "What's wrong, Ruby-chan?"

"R-Ruby… is just nervous… We, um… didn't leave off on the best note…"

"Now, now." Chika spoke up in a normal voice. "You have to stand up to your fears! Life can never move on until you face your past! We, as demon slayers, should know this better than anybody! Haha! Void-chan, behold!" She grabbed Ruby and moved her in front of herself, directly facing Yoshiko.

There was a long awkward pause where Yoshiko's expression shifted from annoyed to shocked, her jaw practically hitting the ground as she took in the sight of the girl in front of her. Ruby fidgeted nervously, but didn't try to run, seemingly waiting for her friend to say something. After a minute of this, Yoshiko finally shook her head, snapping out of it.

"I-I see. You would bring a friend from my past life. Tsushima Yoshiko may have had a connection to this girl, but now I am the fallen angel Yohane, heir to Void. I have no connection…"

"Y-Yoshiko-chan…"

Ruby's voice made the heir to Void hesitate and she glanced around, trying to find anything but the girl in front of her to look at. She stumbled on words, trying to get something clever out and Chika smirked. This was exactly how she imagined it going. Yoshiko was the type that couldn't be honest to herself when it came to her friends, after all.

"Well…" Yoshiko's katana appeared at her side. "Like I said… this fallen angel has not acknowledged you. If you want me to, you'll have to prove yourself. Yohane-sama does not speak with the weak." Chika had to stop herself from laughing out loud at this routine. Was she that desperate to not be honest with her feelings?

To Chika's surprise though, Ruby summoned her own katana to her side, a determined look coming to her face.

"Woah, wait. You guys are going to do that in this public place? At least let me call my partner over. She can put up a barrier to keep people out…"

"R-Ruby will handle it…" Ruby quickly called somebody on her phone and, not five minutes later, a long five minutes of awkward silence, a girl with long brown hair ran up, clearly having sprinted the entire way there.

"I-I'm here, Ruby-chan… Woah, it really is Yoshiko-chan, zura…"

"Z-Zuramaru…" Yoshiko flinched when she recognized the girl but cleared her throat. "So, you are this girl's partner. Get to it. I don't have all night to play this game." Another smirk found its way onto Chika's face, the situation turning out better than she had hoped.

"Please, Hanamaru-chan."

"Oh, right." Hanamaru took a deep breath and held her hands out in front of her. She mumbled something under her breath, too quiet for the others to hear, but they felt a ripple as the barrier expanded from the girl to cover the entire park. "There we go. Nobody should be able to see us. And nobody will entre the park for a while, zura."

Yoshiko waves her off and glares at Chika who laughs and backs off with Light's partner. The two smile at each other but say nothing, Chika curious about the strength of this girl. Not Void, of course, she had already evaluated that firsthand. But she had heard some things about Light, about her speed at least and was curious to witness it herself.

"Come." Yoshiko said, bringing her hand to the hilt of her katana. "Strike me with everything you have."

Ruby took a deep breath and brought her hand to the hilt of her katana, staring at her old friend, the one she wanted to be with again no matter what. And she was determined to reach that goal, to reach her friend, to reach Tsushima Yoshiko.

"Light style, 2nd blade." The steadiness in her voiced surprised Yoshiko, but even more so when the girl was already in front of her, katana swinging in at a low angle to Yoshiko's stomach. With little effort, Void deflected the blade with a quick swing of her sword. Or, she should have. As if time was slowing down, she saw the sword move impossibly fast, moving around her attempted deflect and her eyes widened as she saw the tip of the blade about to touch her stomach. "Flash." But just as Ruby thought her victory was at hand, Yoshiko was gone, having moved out to the side before Ruby could correct her path and she went past the girl, stopping several meters away.

"Ha, that was impressive. So that's the speed of the heir to Light." Ruby gave a small smile of her own and readied her sword again. "Light style, 5th blade." Unlike other demon slayers who moved with incredible speed, Ruby didn't vanish and appear somewhere else, something easy enough for Yoshiko to keep track of. It was more that she would be in position for her attack before Yoshiko's brain could process how the girl had moved or where exactly she was. Yoshiko saw the girl's katana coming for her stomach once again, but she narrowed her eyes and drew her katana, swinging it out to the side and up. She felt her katana connect with a blade and she quickly jumped, dodging the katana coming in for her stomach. "Dispersion." As she heard the words, she was already turning with her blade and blocking the hit from the girl who had jumped from an unknown angle to strike at her. It had all happened in just one second, but it felt like an eternity to Yoshiko and when she landed, Ruby was a few meters in front of her, her sword back in its sheath.

Hanamaru was smiling, but Chika was genuinely impressed. The speed of this girl was incredible. Yoshiko was relying purely on instinct to block blades, an instinct that very few demon slayers possessed. Ruby could likely overwhelm almost any demon slayer with pure speed, even some masters, Chika thought. She was definitely glad she had called over Void so that she could witness this.

"You're going to need more than speed to land a hit on me, Rub-…" Yoshiko caught herself and cleared her throat. "Light."

"If that's the case…" Ruby took a deep breath. "Light style, 6th blade." A strike from the left. Yoshiko moved to block it, but Ruby was farther away than she calculated and by the time she moved to correct her sword, Ruby was already on the other side of her, Yoshiko just having narrowly blocked a hit with her half-drawn sword. Yoshiko's mind struggled to keep up with the girl and when she turned, sword in hand, Ruby was already coming back the other way but stepped past the girl, Yoshiko striking out but far too slow to hit the girl who was over a meter away by the time her sword moved through where Ruby had been. And Yoshiko felt another hit against her sword, one that she had barely had the time to block once again as Ruby crossed over again, this time stopping and turning immediately after passing her friend and swinging her sword out once again, Yoshiko having already prepared to dodge and the katana missed her head by a few centimeters. "Parhelion." Ruby jumped back, bringing her sword back to a neutral position.

"It would seem like I underestimated you slightly, Light. That was quite an impressive blade. But I think it's quite time I end this. Come. This will be your last blade against me."

Ruby was very aware of the fact that Yoshiko had yet to use a blade but had still managed to block or dodge every single one of her strikes. She had never experienced somebody who could do that besides her master, but this was Void. She wasn't surprised that Yoshiko, if anybody, could do it.

"Then… once again. But this time… Ruby will put her everything into it!" Ruby declared in a loud and clear voice, much to the surprise of the three other girls. "Light style, 2nd blade." Yoshiko smirked and brought her hand to her katana. "Haha, that's more like it. Then, I'll answer in kind. Void style, 2nd blade." Ruby appeared in front of her, katana coming in, a strike so incredibly fast that almost no demon slayer could even hope of blocking it. To the two girls who weren't fighting it still looked as if she was standing where she was, the afterimage lagging behind the girl who moved as close to the speed of light as a demon slayer could. If Yoshiko hadn't prepared her blade in advance, she wasn't actually sure that she could block that move, at least as she could now. "To nothing." Ruby drove her sword forward, but as she continued her push, she blinked… and her katana was gone. Her speed carried through and she ended up tackling Yoshiko who made no move to dodge. Yoshiko fell back, hitting the ground and skidding a few feet from the force of the girl, Ruby landing sprawled out over her.

"What…?" Ruby blinked a few times and heard her katana hit the ground a few meters from her. She felt a hand on her head and looked up to see Yoshiko smiling down at her, rubbing her head gently.

"You've certainly grown, Ruby-chan." Ruby looked up at the girl in wonder before tears started flowing from her eyes.

"Y-Yoshiko-chan!" She hugged the girl tightly, crying into her shirt.

Chika and Hanamaru looked at each other and shared a smile at the moment. Yoshiko smiled and continued to gently stroke the hair of her old friend, a smile that Chika believed she would never see present on Void's face.

No, this wasn't Sun watching Void and Light share a moment, she thought.

This was Takami Chika watching the ordinary girls, Tsuhima Yoshiko and Kurosawa Ruby in joy.

* * *

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	18. Nishikino Maki II

**We're getting there.**

* * *

**5 days until the dinner party**

"Hm…" Maki examined the destroyed target and nodded with a smile, swinging her katana around and shoving it back into the sheath.

_That's good. I'm regaining my strength much quicker than I thought I would. I can use my blades fine now as well, all of them. However, there's still the issue of stamina. Though I'm building it back up at an exceptional rate, using too many blades in succession is still tiring me out pretty quickly. That's the number one thing I should work on. Either way, I should be able to handle anything under A rank at this point._

In just two days, Maki had shot up in her skill level once again. The blades still came naturally to her and she found herself able to use them with ease, but not without a large effect on her stamina. That and she hadn't actually tried to kill any demons, so she didn't have any actual way to tell if she was in top shape. She had planned on asking her mom about that soon, but she wanted to make sure she could use all her blades properly without wearing herself out. She figured she could always ask Honoka to accompany her just in case.

She looked up at the blue sky, wishing for the night, wanting to see the moon. She looked down at the katana at her hip and sighed.

"I used to always stay up to gaze at the moon… What am I doing?" The sword vanished and she turned to walk back inside her house, but her mother was standing at the back entrance, an approving smile on her face. Maki blushed, embarrassed at having been heard. "W-What is it, Mama?"

"Just looking at how the heir to the Moon is coming along."

"I'm not… What about the actual heir?"

"That's you, Maki."

"Eh? But…"

"Did you really think we chose another heir?" Maki's mother laughed and walked over to her, putting a hand on her head. "Naoto was just a regular student under me. I never taught her the Moon."

"What? Why?"

"Hmm… My motherly intuition always told me you would come back?" She winked at her daughter and Maki smiled at that but shrugged off the hand and moved inside, not wanting to show that smile to her mother.

"Thank you." She mumbled quietly but her mother smiled, knowing what was being said even if she couldn't hear it well.

* * *

Maki glanced around when she was outside the door to her old teacher's hotel room, reconsidering her approach. But she sighed and knocked. She heard the sound of the lock being turned on the other side, but the door didn't open. She knocked again, but no answer. Hesitantly, Maki turned the knob and the door opened. She took one step inside.

"Seira-san? Honoka told me…" Maki summoned her katana and drew it, quickly deflecting a metal object flying her way. "Wha-!?"

"Four seasons, winter style, 1st…" Maki turned to see Seira stopping her run, her hand on the hilt of her katana but confusion on her face. "Maki-chan?" The sword vanished and that look of confusion was replaced with a big smile as she ran up to the girl and hugged her. "Maki-chan! You should have told me you were coming! Ah, I guess you don't have a way to contact me, right? Don't' worry, we'll fix that. Sorry about the throwing star, I thought you were Honoka."

"Do you always greet her like that?"

"Well, you know, I have to make sure she stays in tip top shape." Seira shut the door and threw a bunch of papers and books off one of the couches, making room for Maki to sit while she went to fetch tea.

"Where's Honoka?"

"Hm? Ah, she's doing some special training. Super secret stuff, haha." Seira places a cup of tea on the table in front of the redhead and sits in one of the chairs after clearing the documents off. "So, what brings you here today, Maki-chan? Did you miss me that much?" Maki snorted at that and took a sip of the tea, nodding her approval at the flavor.

"I actually wanted your opinion on my swordplay." When Seira just tossed her a confused look, she continued. She was a little worried about how the girl would react, but she figured if it was Seira, it would be fine. "I've once again taken the mantle of heir to the Moon. I'll follow through and eventually become the Master of the Moon. So, for now, I at least need to get in shape enough to kill demons once again. That's why I wanted your opinion…"

Maki was interrupted by Seira pouncing at her, wrapping the girl in a hug while laughing.

"I knew it! I knew Maki-chan just couldn't stay away from the Moon forever! You were so excited back then to learn swordsmanship, to learn your blades. I saw you practicing diligently whenever I came over, it was so adorable! Ah, you remind me of Honoka in some ways~"

"S-Seira-san."

"Ahaha. Well, anyways, you just want me to evaluate your swordsmanship, right?"

"Yeah. But I haven't…"

"Haven't used your blades in years? Well, that's fine." She waves it off as if it's really nothing to Maki's shock. "Demon slayers don't forget the blade. They can't. No matter how long you go without using the Moon, you'll be able to use those blades like you never took a break."

Maki thought about it and realized Seira was right. Even though she hadn't used the Moon in years, she was able to execute those blades as if the last time she used them was just the day before. They felt so natural, so right. Ignoring her stamina issue, which was to be expected, those she had used all of her blades easily. A smile found its way onto her face, but it was quickly wiped away when she saw the smirk Seira was wearing.

"Well, will you or not?"

"Ah, right. That's fine with me. Come on." Seira stood and moved to the door. "We'll have to take quite a walk, but that's fine, right?"

"Mm."

* * *

By "a long walk," Seira had actually meant a long walk to the station where they took a train ride out of the city, getting off at a seemingly random stop in the middle of absolutely nowhere. The stop was for a tiny town and had taken them forever to reach, the sun starting to lower from its apex. Seira simply walked through the town and out past it, into the forest beyond. Maki was silent the entire time until they reached a clearing. It looked almost unnatural given the thickness of the forest all around.

"This is… wait, why did we come all the way out here? We could have just gone outside the city without taking a train this far out." She puts her hands on her hips, facing her old teacher who just laughed.

"This place is special. This is a place where nothing has changed in years." Seira closed her eyes and took in the silence around them. "This is where I truly mastered my blades. My Master used to talk about this place as some amazing place. The 'place where even the four seasons stand still.' No matter what time of year we came, it always felt the same. Can you feel it, Maki-chan?"

Maki had to concentrate really hard, but she could feel it, a slight pulsating through space and time. Something was there, something created by magic. Because she didn't have demon blood it was incredibly difficult for her to detect barriers and the like, but with the right amount of concentration she could.

"That's… but why is it here?"

"This is Hallowed Ground, Maki-chan."

"Hallowed!? You mean… a Demon Lord was born here?" Maki looked around, suddenly feeling much more uncomfortable, the entire aura of the place changing with this knowledge.

"Not just Hallowed Ground. This is ground zero."

"Seira-san, what are you…?"

"This is the birthplace of the First Demon Lord, Maki-chan. This is where it all began. Demons, demon slayers, all this death and tragedy. This is where it all began. This has been a long-kept secret of the Four Seasons, the place for a Master to pass judgment on their heir. Honoka seemed to like it when I brought her, haha." Seira's katana appeared at her side and drew it, pointing it toward the redhead. "And this is where I will judge you, Maki-chan."

Maki was confused, terribly so. Hallowed Ground? Ground zero? The First Demon Lord? What was going on? Seira wouldn't bring her here for no reason. Why would she reveal this location to her if it's something that's even been kept a secret from HQ for all these years? Nothing made sense to her. And this was the place she wanted to duel her.

Maki's katana appeared at her side and when she gripped the hilt it felt… different. It felt right somehow. It was almost as if the sword itself was begging to be used. A weird energy surged through her. She felt lighter on her feet, felt like she could do anything. All of her blades flashed through her mind and called out to her. The Moon called to her.

"Do you see now? Even for you, with no demon blood to speak of, with an inherited Demonbrand… You can still feel it. The power that forged our katana… The power that makes us able to fight demons… is a direct result of the First Demon Lord existing. In this place, the place of his birth, it is stronger than ever. I assure you, for someone like me who has demon blood coursing through their veins… the feeling is even stronger. You can feel the Moon, right?" Maki nodded, swallowing nervously. "Here, I feel it… Winter calling to me. I said I brought Honoka here, right? Would you guess what she felt? That girl… my dear heir… Just like me, she didn't feel all of the Four Seasons, but only…" Seira let a smile creep onto her face. "All this time I thought I was protecting her, but… I really do need to let her be free."

"Seira-san…"

"Ah, I'm sorry. I was rambling there for a second. It's not my place to speak about Honoka to anybody. If she wants others to know, she can tell them. Well, then, now that we have that over with… Come, Maki-chan. Come at me with everything you have."

"But Seira-san… why here?"

"This is the place where you'll feel closest to your blades, to the Moon. If you're going to come back to this world then you should feel it in full. Let the Moon embrace you and face me seriously. This is a place where you can show your true potential."

For some reason, Maki didn't doubt her. That feeling… a tugging from the Moon. The Moon wanted her to face Seira, wanted her to use it in battle. Her hand gripped the hilt of her katana tightly. This needed to happen. She needed to fight there. Maki truly felt that if she fought Seira, she would become closer to the Moon, as close as possible. Now she would show her true potential as the heir to the Moon. And she would cement her position in place.

"I, Kazuno Seira, Master of the Four Seasons, Daughter of Winter, challenge you to a duel."

_Daughter of Winter?_ Maki briefly tilted her head in confusion, thinking that she had heard that somewhere before, long ago. But she shook her head. Now was not the time for that. Now was the time to fight.

"I, Nishikino Maki, heir to the Moon, accept this duel. I'll fight with everything I have."

A cold wind chilled Maki to the bone and she had to stop herself from shivering. No, it wasn't a wind. Wind couldn't reach this place, she realized. It was Seira. That smile on her face sent shivers up Maki's spine. She was serious.

"Moon style, 2nd blade." Maki really did feel lighter on her feet as she shot off the ground towards her opponent, easily equaling the speed of demon slayer with demon blood. "Four seasons, winter style, 5th blade." Maki already knew this blade from facing Honoka. "Waning moon." She struck out incredibly fast, far faster than she ever could before with her blade but Seira vanished as it touched her, just as Maki knew she would, and a smirk came to her face. "Moon style, 7th blade." Seira appeared above and to her right, swinging her sword down. Maki slightly lifted her sword from her sheath and let it fall back in. "Supermoon." Slashes in all directions, all around her, not leaving a single space safe. But just as she had seen the girl's heir do, Seira vanished again and appeared right in front of Maki. "Shimmer Twice." But Maki was prepared as her katana was once again lifted slightly from the sheath. "Moon style, 6th blade." Instead of striking, Seira jumped backed, laughing.

"That was pretty impressive. I didn't think you would predict that one."

"Your heir already got me with that once."

"Haha. A nice move, huh? I actually copied the second part from her. She modified that blade by herself. As a master, I couldn't be prouder. Who says a master has nothing to learn from an heir? Ah, I don't want to start rambling about her. Come on. Another bout."

Maki held her sword steady, taking a deep breath. But apparently the time it took her to calm herself was too long for Seira. "Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." She vanished from the redhead's sight, but Maki also knew this blade from fighting Honoka. "Moon style, 6th blade." This time she knew Seira would try to push through and this would be her victory. "Whiteout." "Lunar eclipse." The entire area in front of Maki was torn to bits, deep strikes appearing in the ground, kicking up dirt, destroying grass. But Seira was nowhere to be seen.

"Four seasons, winter style, 4th blade." Maki looked up. Somehow, Seira had gotten high in the air and Maki could see her katana pointing down. "Moon style, 8th blade." Seira vanished and Maki pulled her katana out. "Ava—" Just as Seira appeared, Maki pulled her sword, a devastating force smashing into the master's katana, sending her flying back up to her immense surprise. "Alone among the stars. Moon style, 5th blade." Seira smirked, knowing Maki believed that she had her trapped. She knew the Moon well enough to know the blade that would be used against an opponent in the air. "Haha, I'll return that in kind! Four seasons, winter style, 3rd blade."

Maki swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, her hand tightening so hard on the hilt of her katana that it hurt. "Lunar swirl." Seira could feel it, multiple strikes aimed up at her just as she had predicted. She acknowledged the impressive move but vanished from Maki's sight long before her katana could reach the master. Maki watched as Seira appeared but, for some reason, felt as if she couldn't move in time. And, sure enough, a flash of steel and her katana was sent flying away by the Master of the Four Seasons who slowly strode past her. "Snow drifting over the farthest peak. Looks like it's my victory, Maki-chan."

Maki turned to her, unsurprised at the outcome, but still smiling. "I figured I was no match for you, Seira-san."

"Don't talk like that. Honestly you surprised me with how good you were. I was expecting to end it in a couple of moves. Good job, Maki-chan." She rubbed the girl's head, which still felt weird to Maki since they looked the same age.

"But, Seira-san, is this area really…?" She looked around at the clearing. Before she had even noticed, the ground and everything had returned to way it was when they first entered. All the damage from their battle was undone as if it had never happened.

"All Hallowed Ground is like this. But yes, this is ground zero, as I said before. I trust you to keep this place a secret, Maki-chan. My master showed me, and I showed Honoka. It's up to her if she decides to show this place to her heir. I chose to show you, but I don't think you should ever come back here. Spending too much time in Hallowed Ground is dangerous anyways."

Maki felt like she already knew that without being told so. Everything felt… too right. The allure of the place was too strong, drawing her in, making her want to draw her katana again. It was unsettling. Nothing should make her feel like that. She already knew this place was dangerous as soon as Seira pointed out that feeling. She made a mental note to avoid Hallowed Ground as much as possible, especially this one where that feeling should be strongest.

"Mm. I think I'll listen to that."

"Come on, now. We have a long trip back so let's get going."

"Um, Seira-san."

"Yeah?"

"You called yourself the Daughter of Winter…"

"Haha. That's right, Maki-chan." Seira crossed her arms. "I'm the Daughter of Winter. I was chosen by the winter style of the Four Seasons." She puffed out her chest proudly.

"Eh? The Four Seasons chose you…? Does that mean your master was also…?"

"No, my master was not chosen by any of the Four Seasons. Though he had mastered them, none of them chose him. But that's not something that we worry about. Some are chosen, some are not."

"What about Honoka?"

Seira hesitated before answering, giving the girl a thoughtful look.

"Honoka knows where she stands. After all, Honoka…" A slight smirk came to her face before she shook her head and began walking away. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Eh? Seira-san!" Maki yelled as she ran after her.

* * *

**Hey, now we've seen all five blades of the winter style.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	19. Interlude - Four Seasons

**Things are getting fun.**

* * *

**Morning before Nishikino Maki II (5 days left until the dinner party)**

"There we go." Honoka dropped the stack of papers into the closet, looking back at her cleaning work in her master's living room. Seira was passed out on the couch and Honoka had decided to clean up some stuff before she woke up. After all, if she waited, Seira would make Honoka do something else. For some reason, Seira really liked keeping her place as messy as possible.

As Honoka turned to continue her work her foot got caught on the stack of papers she had just put down and she turned to grab something, anything, to balance herself. Unfortunately, that thing was the shelf in the closet which immediately broke, coming down with her.

"Ow, ow, ow…" Honoka sat up, sighing at the sight that met her. Somehow knocking down that shelf had caused the two shelfs above it to fall as well, books and papers falling everywhere. "Geez. Master really needs to keep less of this stuff around." She glanced over to said master who had somehow slept through that noise. Of course she had. And now Honoka had just made more work for herself. The papers mainly consisted of Seira's personal research which Honoka didn't understand in the absolute least so her eyes barely scanned the titles of pages before she slid them into a stack, not knowing how to organize them or even if Seira had even organized it in some way.

While throwing papers into stacks and books written in foreign languages into a separate stack, she grabbed one book but stopped before throwing it in. An envelope was tied around the front and it clearly read: **Kousaka Honoka**. She gently undid the knot and looked over the envelop. Sure enough that was all that was written. Honoka glanced back at her master who was still sleeping soundly before crossing her legs and tearing open the envelope. She unfolded the paper inside, and it was a letter addressed to her.

_Kousaka Honoka,_

_ If you're reading this then I've already passed… Haha, that's a great way to start out a dramatic letter, isn't it? Sorry, sorry. I'm sure you're considering putting this letter away already. My name is Sakurai Ryoma, the Master of the Four Seasons. Though, by the time you read this, Seira will be the new Master. She'll probably have been the Master for quite some time. I'm not sure how far into your training you'll be when you find this. Looking into the future is pretty difficult and I only got blurry, strange looks._

The future? Honoka started to wonder if this was a prank by Seira. Or maybe it was actually written by the previous Master but was still a prank. After all, looking into the future is impossible… right? Then again, before she became a demon slayer, she would have said all this demon and demon slayer stuff would be impossible.

_ I'm sure this is all confusing for you. It's not something I can explain or that I have the time to explain. My illness is progressing faster than I expected which is why I chose to write this letter. Firstly, let me thank you. Thank you for accepting Seira. She can act tough, but she's pretty sensitive underneath. I'm sure she'll cry buckets when I pass. If she chose you to be her heir, she already thinks of you as family and… I'm glad for that. So, for that, thank you again._

_ When you find this, you should already be aware of your __position__._

Honoka felt a pang in the back of her head, a light pressure as she read over that word. The words began to fade as her headache became more painful and she struggled to continue reading but wasn't sure the rest was even written in Japanese.

"Honoka."

The headache had become so painful, she couldn't concentrate on anything in front of her anymore. Her vision was slowly fading to black, and she could feel the impact as she fell over, but she couldn't move her body. Somebody was above her… shaking her? Maybe calling out. Yeah, she could definitely hear something though it was so muffled she couldn't make it out, but it sounded familiar.

"Honoka!"

"Master…"

And then she fell into that darkness.

* * *

"Eh?" Honoka opened her eyes to see an unfamiliar place. A large Japanese-style mansion, a huge open courtyard. And she sat in the dead centre of the courtyard. The air was cool. The leaves of the courtyard trees were red and orange and the ground was covered in those leaves. Autumn, maybe, she thought.

"Ah, I'm glad you arrived safely." She turned around to see an older man, easily in his sixties or more, sitting on the porch of the mansion, putting down a cup. He slowly stood and took a few steps toward her, a warm smile on his face. "I'm sorry to call you out here like this, Honoka-kun. But we could never have a conversation otherwise."

"You're… Sakurai… Ryoma…?" The man nodded.

"That's right. In this time… I am known as the Master of the Four Seasons."

"This time? You mean this is really the past?" Honoka looked around in shock. There was no way magic existed that actually let you travel back in time. Demons probably wouldn't even be an issue if that kind of thing existed.

"Haha, I'm sure you're very confused. This is indeed the past, quite some time before you became the heir to the Four Seasons. Don't worry, you haven't truly time traveled. I've just sent your consciousness back. Nothing you do will have an effect on this world. So, tell me, Honoka-kun, what are you afraid of?" Ryoma walked over to a practice dummy that Honoka hadn't noticed before. Then he turned back to her. "If I asked you destroy this, you wouldn't hold back, right? Maybe Whiteout would do it. Maybe a Spring blade."

"I wouldn't…"

"You wouldn't, indeed. But now, if I said to strike me here, would you hold back? What if it was a demon?"

"I…" Honoka looked down, clenching her hands into fists. She wanted to say that she wouldn't, but she knew that was a lie. After everything she had been, she was still scared. But… She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Ryoma smiling down at her. That smile felt so familiar, like that of her master that comforted her through all of her time training. "If I…"

"'If I fully step into that world, will I really be able to come back?'" She looked up at the man who had taken the words right out of her mouth. "I had similar doubts when I first became a demon slayer. 'The deeper I go into this world, the harder it'll be to claw my way out.' It's a scary thought, isn't it? You have family, friends, so many people you treasure that remain in your old world, going about their lives whether you're there or not."

"How am I supposed to turn away from that…? This past year all I wanted was to go back to them. I tried my best to forget them, to throw myself into mastering the Four Seasons. And I did! And I knew that the right thing to do was to continue training as a demon slayer, but…" Honoka summoned her Demonbrand to her side and gently ran a hand along the sheath. "Every time I wield this sword, I feel like I drift farther away. Every time I use a blade, I feel like I'm moving away from my goal. I didn't ask to be a demon slayer anyways! I trained at that stupid place because I didn't have a choice! I didn't want my friends to grieve over me! I don't want my family to think I'm dead! I wanted to finish what I started! I want to see my little sister grow up! I want to wake up late and get chewed out by my parents! I want to rush to school to barely make it time! I want Umi-chan to scold me and Kotori-chan to diffuse the situation! I want to get excited for dance practice after school! I want to worry about tests! I want to worry about homework that I forgot! I want to… I want…" Tears streamed down Honoka's face as she poured her heart out to this man she had never met before, feelings she thought she had long suppressed.

"One step at a time, Honoka-kun." She felt that comforting hand on her shoulder again an looked up into sympathetic eyes. "I'll tell you what." Ryoma turned and walked a few meters away before turning back to her. A katana appeared at his side with no sheath. "Come. If you can fight me without holding back, I'll help you out there."

Honoka wiped her eyes and gave the man a perplexed look.

"No offense but… aren't you dead?"

"Ahaha! Let's not worry about the details. Who says the dead have no influence on the world? You're here right now, aren't you? Come on, entertain this old man for a bit." Honoka thought about it for a bit but nodded. How could she turn down a duel with the previous master of her sword style? This would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Plus… she was curious what this 'help' might be.

"Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." Honoka vanished, coming straight in, something she knew obviously wouldn't work on this man. "Four seasons, spring style, 5th blade." Honoka appeared in front of him, a head-on attack, but his blade quickly misdirected hers and reversed, the blade coming straight towards her face. "Spring breeze." She ducked it and pushed a hand off the ground sending herself flying back. "Four seasons, spring style, 3rd blade." By the time Honoka had landed the man was already in front of her, sword coming in for her chest. But that wasn't all. Honoka knew these blades and could feel the same sword striking her from behind. Impressed that this old man could do this even at his age, a smile came to her face as she took a deep breath. "Four seasons, winter style, 2nd blade." "Spring equinox." "Blizzard." Both of the blades were easily deflected by the strikes Honoka sent all around her, Ryoma jumping back, an angry look on his face.

"Stop holding back!"

"Eh? I…"

"You know as well as I do! If I had been determined to kill you, I would have easily done so from that! You know that wasn't the move you wanted to use! Stop holding back, Honoka-kun!"

"No! I…!"

"Four seasons, summer style, 2nd blade." Ryoma was moving in again, but slower. Honoka already knew the blade he was preparing. Was this a test too? She could feel the sweat dripping down her hands, mostly from nerves.

_Steady yourself, Honoka. Don't hold back. But… No! Now's the time to show what you can really do. Break these shackles. I'll cut down everything in my way to make it out again, back to those smiling faces, back to those warm arms. No matter what happens… No matter what happens, they'll be there for me. And I have to repay them in kind. With my everything. With my everything, I'll be there for them! With my everything, I'll beat this man!_

Honoka took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Four seasons, autumn style, 2nd blade." Ryoma took his next step forward and he smirked as everything seemed to slow down around him, the girl coming in fast, a new fierce look in her eyes. And everything returned to normal as her blade crashed against his, the force driving him back. "Dancing under the red leaves." And the hits kept coming, each hit faster and stronger than the next, each hit making his hands go numb, each hit taking more concentration just to tell where it was coming from. Honoka kept her breathing even, all of her hits were meaningful. Each one was aimed to slice this man. "That's it! The true form of autumn's 2nd blade!" The true form? Honoka figured he must have somehow seen her battle with Chika. True, she hadn't let the blade shine in that battle. But today was different. Today she let out everything the blade had to offer, her swings crashing into his Demonbrand, often sending it out wide but her next strike, even with it increasing in speed, wasn't quite fast enough to reach him before he could bring his sword back.

"Four seasons, summer style, 2nd blade." Ryoma moved forward, this time dodging an attack so quick he could only predict where it would hit from. "Perseids." A close-range move, Honoka knew, dozens of straight forward strikes. "Four seasons, summer style, 2nd blade." She could see his eyes widen as she challenged his blade straight on. "Perseids." The two clashed hundreds of times in the matter of only seconds, Honoka blocking or deflecting every strike from his Perseids with her own. It was difficult, but she could see each one which meant she could block them. As she saw the last one, she prepared. "Four seasons, autumn style, 2nd blade." And her dance started again as she deflected the last strike out wide. "You're even able to continue from where you left off, huh? Haha, you never cease to amaze me, Honoka-kun!" Honoka's strikes were so strong they cracked the ground under them. But just as he had said, she wasn't truly affecting that world as, immediately after, the ground simply repaired itself. But it was cracked over and over again, the force of her strikes now tearing up dirt and rock.

"Four seasons, winter style, 5th blade." Her next strike never reached his sword as the man vanished from her sight. Honoka quickly turned on her heels as he appeared behind her, but she knew her mistake when she struck at nothing again, overextending her strike. Ryoma appeared behind her and struck out. "Second Shimmer." Instead of trying to block, Honoka threw herself forward, letting the momentum of her strike carry her through, pushing off the ground with her foot to spring herself forward. She felt a brief sharp pain but managed to avoid any serious injury. However, when she stood up again, she could feel the warmth of blood trickling down her back.

"Don't worry, Honoka-kun. No injuries you receive here will follow you back. That's why I don't feel the need to hold back either."

"Liar. You were definitely holding back. You should have been able to use Perseids faster than that. I could still make out the strikes that were headed for me."

"Haha, I can't sneak anything past you, can I? You're very observant. That's a good thing for a demon slayer. I'm glad to see that you pulled no strings in your dance though. That was a once in a lifetime performance. I'm glad I was able to witness it. Then, let me answer you in kind this time. Show me, Honoka-kun! Show me your true power!"

_My… true power…_

"You're really something, Oji-san. I can't imagine still doing this at your age, but then again, I wouldn't expect anything else from the Master of the Four Seasons. Then, let me show you why I'm worthy of having that title one day!"

A deep breath. Wind tickled at her cheeks, ruffling the red and orange leaves around them. The cool air cleared her mind, cleared away any doubts she had. No matter what happens, everything will be fine. That thought stayed with her.

"Four seasons, autumn style, 1st blade." "Four seasons, autumn style, 1st blade."

Honoka smirked, figuring that this man would challenge her head on. This was her real test. She would show him that this was her blade now. This was Honoka's domain. And she wouldn't give it up so easily. She would never admit defeat to the past.

_This is it. With this, I'll end the past and I'll start new. This is going to be the beginning of everything! This will be the last and the first strike! I'll reach you no matter what. I'll crush through that sword of yours and show you! I'll show you what you want! I'll show you me! I'll show you who Kousaka Honoka really is!_

They both ran at each other, both with confident smiles, both ready to push their limits to the absolute extreme. This was a battle that meant nothing, a battle in the past, a battle that would never have an effect on the present. Whether one won or loss would mean nothing. But even so, they both wanted to defeat their opponent. And they would give it their all to achieve that.

""Fall.""

And just like that, in a single clash, in a single moment that felt like eternity to the two demon slayers, the battle was over. Silence fell over the courtyard. A gentle wind blew the leaves across the ground. And a laugh from an old man.

"Haha. In all my years as a demon slayer… never did I think I would see the day someone would crack my Demonbrand." The two turned to face each other, Ryoma with a massive gash travelling down his chest, Honoka with just a tear in her shirt. "This is how it should be. If you had not won that, I would have been disappointed." The gash on his stomach closed up and his shirt repaired itself. He walked up to the orange-haired demon slayer and ruffled her hair. "Good job, Honoka-kun. You fought with everything you had and defeated me fair and square." Honoka smiled, thinking of how much he reminded her of her own Master. Ryoma reached into his sleeve and drew out a long piece of red cloth and gently wrapped it around her neck. A scarf, Honoka realized and looked up at him in confusion. Ryoma walked back to the patio and sat, taking a sip from that cup of his. "Something to keep you warm. It's cold, isn't it? Your time here is almost up, Honoka-kun."

"I see." She let her katana vanish and gave the man a gentle smile. "Thank you, Ryoma-san. I was… No, maybe I still am scared. I feel like I've leapt into this world instead of taking a step. But maybe that's how it should be. No matter what, I'll claw my way back out when I need to. And this duel has only made me realize that I have the power to do so. So… again, thank you." She bowed deeply, truly grateful for this experience, for this feeling she now held in her heart.

"Haha, that's more like it, Honoka-kun. Unfortunately, I won't be able to stick around to see you grow as I did with Seira. Though, from the look of things, I'm sure I've already seen the result of Seira's training."

"Master, what are you doing out of bed!?" Honoka's eyes were drawn to a girl… her Master, who walked out from a door, looking more than upset at her master. "You should be resting! And that sword… were you training? Come on!" Seira tugged his arm until he stood.

Even though Honoka was staring at her so intently, Seira showed no sign of noticing her. Well, that was to be expected, right? This was the past. Seira wouldn't have noticed somebody who wasn't there, so she couldn't see Honoka who wasn't truly in the past.

"Honoka-kun." Honoka looked up at Ryoma one last time. "I believe in you. And so does Seira. And so do your friends. From now on you just need to believe in yourself."

"I will!" Honoka gave him one last big smile. "I'll never forget this day."

"Haha, that's good. When you get back to the other side, tell Seira I always knew it was her who was eating my secret cake stash! Farewell, Honoka-kun!"

Ryoma stopped resisting and let Seira drag him away, the girl showing no sign that she had heard that conversation. And she probably hadn't, Honoka realized, as they had never had that conversation back when he was alive. She smiled and felt her consciousness beginning to fade once again. And she let the darkness come over her.

* * *

"Fueh…?" Honoka's eyes opened slowly, the drowsiness fading almost immediately. She felt like she had just had the best sleep of her life. Her entire body felt rejuvenated and she swore she could face any demon at that time.

"Finally awake, Honoka?" Honoka almost jumped out of the bed at the sound of the voice, but she relaxed when she turned and saw Seira leaning against the wall, smiling down at her.

"Master. Eh? Finally? How long was I asleep for?"

"Pretty much the whole day. It's past midnight. Don't worry, I let Hanayo know that you would be late."

"Master, I…" Honoka tried to sort through everything as the memories of her… experience came back to her.

"Some trick of my Master's, right?" She nodded to the book with the letter on it which rested on the bed next to Honoka. "The text seems to already be gone but it was something from him, right? He always did like to do those sorts of things."

Honoka picked up the letter and opened it again. Despite what Seira had said, there was a small sliver of text towards the bottom.

_Thank you, Honoka._

_Yours truly, Sakurai Ryoma._

As soon as she read it, the text faded away. So, she turned her attention to the book and slowly opened it. The pages were all blank and after flipping through the first few pages, the rest were hollowed out. Inside sat a lone piece of red cloth. Honoka almost laughed out loud when she realized what it was. Seira was giving her a confused look but Honoka just jumped off the bed and took the piece of cloth, wrapping it around her neck the same way her Master's master had. She moved out to the living room and grabbed the handle to the main door.

"Honoka? What's up? You're being awfully quiet. What did Master do?" Seira crossed her arms, clearly expecting an answer this time.

But Honoka thought of how the man had acted and just laughed.

"Haha. Thank you, Master. I love you!" She opened the door but looked back at her Master before leaving. "Ryoma-san said that he always knew it was you eating his secret cake stash." And with that, she ran out.

It took Seira a minute to process what the girl had said but after realizing, she rushed back to the room to grab the book. But both the book and letter were gone.

"Master…"

A small smile crept its way onto her face as memories of raiding her Master's cake stash came back. A single tear rolled down her cheek and feel to the bedsheets.

"Master, you idiot…"

* * *

**If you didn't notice, Seira didn't think it was Honoka who walked in when Maki walked in, just a little white lie from her.**

**Only four blades remain to be seen! Not that that matters at all, really. Also, five if you count my lack of a description of "Fall."**

**Hope you guys enjoyed.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	20. Muse III

**This was supposed to be a short story.**

**Also, this chapter has no combat. Oops.**

**And this chapter is pretty short.**

* * *

**4 days until the dinner party**

Honoka was practically bursting with excitement as she threw on some casual clothes followed by a hoodie to hide her face and the red scarf that was a gift from her Master's master. She could already feel the weird looks she would receive but she didn't care. After all, she felt like he gave it to her for a reason, not just as some gift. She could feel the slight tingle of magic from it, but she wasn't well-versed enough in magic to tell what it would do. And, if the previous Master of Four Seasons was powerful enough to send her consciousness back in time, who knew what he could have done to this scarf?

She was already waiting at the door by the time Hanayo was ready, Hanayo just laughing. She was just as excited as Honoka, but just not as good at showing it. They had reserved the day to be with their old friends after all. Well, they said they "reserved" it, but in reality, if they were called in for a job, they would have no choice but to leave. But they could hope! And the thought of being pulled away was the last thing on their minds. They were just determined to have fun.

At least Hanayo was. Honoka kept thinking over what she wanted to tell all of them, Hanayo included, and it was making her so nervous that she had to pray her excitement for the day would outshine that anxiety. And for a while she did feel that way when she saw her old friends waiting for them and she ran up to embrace Umi and Kotori. Rin raced up to Hanayo, hugging her tightly and yelling, "Kayo-chan!" over and over. From an outsider's perspective, it probably looked like friends who hadn't seen each other in years even though they had all been together just the other day.

"hey, Honoka." Nico spoke up as they walked. "Why the scarf? I don't really think this is the kind of weather for it. Doesn't it get stuffy?"

"Haha. It was a gift, so I kind of feel obligated to wear it, you know. Plus, it's not that uncomfortable at all." That was true. Maybe it was one of the magical properties of the scarf, but she felt no discomfort from wearing it. Besides the soft feeling, it was almost as if it wasn't there.

"A gift?" Maki asked, tilting her head. "From Seira-san?"

"Hmm. Nope! A good guess though."

"Honoka-chan's teasing us, nya!"

"Ahaha, maybe so?"

"I have to admit, I'm curious as well now." Umi chimed in.

Honoka showed them all a big smile while putting a finger over her lips. "Secret. Ahaha!" She ran forward and turned back to face all her friends. "Scarf or not, we just have to have fun today!" She threw a fist in the air and let it come down, pointing at her group of friends. "Got that?"

They all relaxed and couldn't help but smile at the energetic girl's antics. They were just content to see that smile again. Though Hanayo made a mental note to bother her partner about it again later. If she was keeping it a secret, it probably had something to do with demon slayer stuff.

Their day consisted mostly of window shopping once again. The two partners were hesitant to do certain public things in fear of being found out. But that aside, they all knew one place where they could all be themselves. Karaoke, of course! They sang their hearts out, laughing when they found a couple of their old songs on the machine, memories of that past life stinging Honoka's chest, but she smiled through it. Even if her time as a school idol was up, she would claw her way back into that world of her friends. No matter what.

"Ah, singing is so tiring when you're not used to it." Honoka let out a loud yawn as she plopped down on one of the seats, picking up her cola to drain it. "How did I do this every day? I must have been so strong back then."

"Looks like you lost your edge, Honoka." Nozomi smirked as she teased her friend.

"Hey! I could crank out another two or three songs right now if I wanted to!" Honoka flailed her arms for emphasis, looking like a kid throwing a tantrum. "School idols don't get worn out from just one song after all." They all shared a laugh at that.

Honoka felt a warmth spread through her chest as she watched her friends sing, some alone, some in pairs. She took her turn, singing a duet with Umi, a duet with Eli, and a solo. As she watched her friends switching out for another song, she remembered her determination from before to talk to them. But was this a good time? The last thing she wanted was to ruin their day. And her topic of choice was definitely heavy.

Kotori must have noticed something was wrong as Honoka's attention was taken off those thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at her friend who was giving her a worried look.

"Is something wrong, Honoka-chan? You don't look so well."

"Eh? I uh…" Honoka made a mental note that she would have to practice not showing her emotions on her face. That was a bad habit of hers. "I-I'm fine, Kotori-chan! Just a little tired from all the singing is all, haha." It only took one look for her to tell that Kotori didn't buy that in the absolute least.

"Honoka-chan…"

Honoka's stern denial had drawn the attention of a few of the other friends and by the time Kotori was shaking her, Nico had finished her song and all eyes were on them.

_Kotori-chan! I'm really trying my hardest not to ruin this day! Ah, what do I do now? Everybody's looking at us. Even Hanayo-chan looks worried. Maybe I should have told her instead of taking Master's suggestion. What do I do!? If I don't tell them something, they'll know that I'm lying or holding back. Would they wait if I asked? Probably not… We're really going to have to talk about this now, huh? Ah, whatever!_

"Honoka?" Like she thought, everybody was still looking at her and she stood walking up to the karaoke machine to stand in front of all of them, but not grabbing the mic.

"Well, um… I didn't want to ruin our fun day, so I was going to wait to talk about this, but it looks like it's now or never, huh?"

"Honoka-chan?" She looked to her partner who was clearly more worried than anybody else. Her intuition in things that involved demon slayers was pretty good and she could tell that would be the topic without Honoka saying anything. She flashed a smile at her partner.

"I'm sorry, Hanayo-chan. I should have told you first, but Master and I both thought it might be better. So, well… What to say? I guess I'm not even sure what exactly is going to happen." She took a deep breath and thought for a second. Neither her nor her master actually knew what was going to happen. Seira seemed pretty intent that Pestilence was a powerful demon, maybe even as powerful as a Demon Lord. So, if they were walking into a trap… The result would most likely be their deaths. "I uh…"

"Honoka-chan." Honoka looked up to see her partner smiling. "It's okay, Honoka-chan." Honoka nodded and took another deep breath. She was nervous that her friends would try to stop her or that Hanayo would beg to come along. That was something she didn't want to deal with. There was no way she would let Hanayo risk her life, but there was also no way she would let Seira step foot into that potential trap alone.

"Master and I… Well, I don't really know what it is, exactly. An invitation was extended to us, heir and Master of the Four Seasons, to dine with the demon, Pestilence." She saw the look of surprise on her partner's face and the looks of confusion from the rest of her friends. "Pestilence was a demon that was slain hundreds of years ago, but an amazingly powerful one. You can probably guess how he got the name. Regardless, Master is adamant on accepting this invitation and I can't let her walk into a potential trap alone. And I can't let my friend risk her life." She smiled sadly at Hanayo. "So… I want to tell you all how it really is. There is a very good chance that I won't return from this 'party' alive. If this isn't a bluff and this demon really is Pestilence, or close to that level, we may not stand a chance."

"Honoka-chan!"

"I'm sorry, Hanayo-chan. But this is my decision. I won't let you die because Master insists that we thrust ourselves into this trap. If worst comes to worst, I can probably borrow Master's eyes. After all, she can see demons naturally. So… that's it, I guess. You can probably tell why I didn't want to say anything yet, right? So, please… don't tell me not to go. Don't make it harder, please. No matter what, I'll accompany my Master. And no matter what, I swear… I'll return alive."

An awkward silence followed as most of the girls were trying to process this information. Hanayo looked on the verge of crying and Honoka felt all the worse for telling them now. It probably didn't feel real to the rest of the girls who weren't a part of that world. In fact, Honoka thought most of this demon slayer stuff probably still went over their heads.

"Well," Eli said, standing up, a serious look on her face and Honoka was ready for a, 'You know we'll do whatever we can to stop you from going, right?,' but to her surprise that wasn't what she got at all as that serious look was replaced with a smile. "You wouldn't change your mind no matter how much begging we did, right?"

Honoka swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat and nodded. Kotori stood and Honoka thought she was going to have to receive another slap from one of her best friends, but the girl just hugged her. And Umi was next, latching onto the girl as if she would run away the second she let go.

"Kotori-chan… Umi-chan…"

"I don't…" Kotori was starting to shake, and she grabbed Honoka's shoulders, bringing herself out to arm's length, tears streaming down her face. "I don't get it! I don't care if you're protecting people or whatever! I don't… I don't want to lose you again, Honoka-chan!" Honoka felt a pang in her chest. She thought it might happen like this.

Honoka held in her tears, taking a deep breath and forcing a smile out, one that probably conveyed her sadness more than tears ever could. All of her friends looked at her with concern, all ready to hold the girl back, but Honoka knew they wouldn't.

"I… love you guys… more than anything. I want to be with you no matter what. The year I spent training with Hanayo-chan and Master was so lonely. Both Hanayo-chan and I felt that way. But, in that time I made my own convictions. My Master is also important to me. The people of this world are important to me. And now… the world is going to change. If I walk away, I'll be left behind. But even so, I was scared. Scared to walk a path without you guys, terrified that I would never be able to turn back, that I could never see you guys again. But now…" Honoka reached up and touched the scarf around her neck, feeling the tingle of magic, remembering Ryoma's words. "I need you to believe in me."

The silence that followed was the worst Honoka had ever experienced, everybody conflicted, everybody wanting to tell her to stop but couldn't.

"Hmph." Nico sighed and all eyes were drawn to her. "Like Eli said, it's not like anything we'd say would change your mind anyways. So…" Uncharacteristically, she smiled instead of turning away with a red face. "Just make sure you come back to us, Honoka."

"Mm." Honoka nodded, finally letting a single tear slide down her cheek. "I promise."

That must have triggered something in everybody as the rest of the girls who weren't already hugging the girl jumped in, all yelling and crying. Honoka couldn't help but smile. Instead of sad, she felt happy. These were the friends she was fighting for. These were the friends that kept her going no matter what.

_Don't worry, everyone. For sure… For sure, I'll come back!_

* * *

**Hanayo's part will be in the next chapter.**

**Hope you guys are enjoying. We're getting there.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	21. Takami Chika III

**We're getting there.**

* * *

**4 days until the dinner party**

Hanayo sighed, replaying the events of earlier in her head. What was she supposed to do? She was Honoka's partner. She knew Honoka just wanted to protect her, but… she didn't want to let her friend jump into something like that alone. This training session with Riko would probably turn into an advice session instead. She needed somebody outside of their group to talk to about this stuff.

As she stood in front of the building once again, she looked at her phone. Riko hadn't responded to her text so she buzzed their room. After a few seconds, the glass doors slid open and Hanayo tilted her head in confusion. Nobody had said anything over the intercom and Riko still hadn't responded. She took the elevator up to their floor and knocked.

"It's open!" She heard a muffled voice call. And when she walked in, she was greeted by just Chika who was sitting in the same position she had seen her last time, flipping through a book with a bag of chips at her side. "Welcome, Hanayo-chan!"

"E-Eh? I-It's just you, Chika?"

"Mm! Ah, you were supposed to train with Riko-chan again, right? Sorry, she left her phone here when she left. Turns out she had some last-minute obligations, so she had to leave. She told me to tell you that but…" She stuck her tongue out. "I forgot."

"Ah, that's alright. She won't be back today then, I assume?" Hanayo was fidgeting nervously since it was her first time alone with Chika and, besides stuff about demon slayers, there wasn't really a topic she could think about to talk about, so she planned to leave immediately if Riko wasn't going to be coming back.

"Probably not." Chika looked back towards her book. "You can hang out or go if you want. I don't really mind either way."

"T-Then, I'll just…"

"Ah." Chika picked up her phone and opened it, just listening for a second before a, "Got it," and hanging up. "Well, looks like things have changed. Hey, Hanayo-chan, you don't have any plans anymore since Riko-chan isn't here, right?"

"T-That's right…" She had a bad feeling about where this was going.

"Then how about I rent you for the day? I just got a job call, but since Riko-chan isn't here, I can't really do it. But you know, I already accepted it just now so…" She was smirking at Hanayo, hoping for some kind of reaction. "How about you be partners with me for today?"

Without giving Hanayo a chance to respond, Chika jumped, grabbed her phone and Hanayo's hand and dragged her out of the apartment. They were at the station before she knew it and Chika had already pulled her onto the train, laughing all the way. Chika plopped down on the seat and now that Hanayo was finally able to grasp her surroundings for a second she spoke up.

"C-Chika, what are…?"

"Eh? It's fine, isn't it, Hanayo-chan? You just have to let me borrow your eyes for a bit. There's no helping it, right? It's not like Honoka-chan will get upset, right? I would let her borrow Riko-chan if she needed to. We may be partners, but that just means that we have to trust each other. I trust Riko-chan with my everything and she trusts me. That's all you need in this kind of relationship."

_Trust? I trust Honoka-chan… I know she would even give her life to protect me, but… I… I want to help her. And I can't help her if I'm not there. But would I just be a burden to her if I joined her in that party? If Seira-san and her have to worry about me, then it might get them killed. I can't… But…_

"Hanayo-chan?" She looked up to see Chika with a gentle smile. "Did something happen with Honoka-chan?"

"Ah, um…" Hanayo fidgeted awkwardly, not really knowing if she should talk about it with Chika. Then again, she was planning on talking to Riko anyways and Chika was friends with her, so she would probably be able to give similar advice. At least, she hoped so. "Honoka-chan… is going to do something very dangerous with Sei-… her master. But she doesn't want me to go. I know she wants to protect me, but… I want to be there for Honoka-chan."

_Hm. Hanayo-chan and Honoka-chan haven't been demon slayers very long, huh? They haven't formed deep enough of a bond yet. Ah, but telling her to just get closer or something won't help. Though this is interesting. I wonder what exactly Honoka-chan is doing that's so dangerous? Haha, I would definitely like to accompany her. She would probably be happy to have me there, right? I hope… Well, either way, let's focus on Hanayo-chan for now._

A silence fell over them until they got off the train into a sizeable town that seemed relatively peaceful. It was a bit too big for a "everybody knows everybody" kind of place, but not much. Chika led the way, glancing around as if she would see the demon without Hanayo's help.

"I was told the demon was relatively active, so we should probably search back alleys and stuff. I doubt they're out and about attacking in the sunlight where they'll be weaker." She glanced back at the quiet girl and smiled, thinking that she would help her get over that worry. "Do you feel anything, Hanayo-chan?"

Hanayo was a bit distracted but she finally snapped out of it to pay attention. This was a potentially dangerous mission as well. Well, with Chika there, she had little doubt that they would struggle against any demons though. But she concentrated anyways, trying to sense any nearby demons. Nothing… nothing…

"Eh? Chika… do you feel that?"

"Hm? I don't feel anything yet. Why, what's up?"

"I feel… a bunch of things. But all of the signals are so faint… it's almost like hundreds of E rank demons or something… And they're… below us."

_She can sense hundreds of demons when I can't feel anything? Haha, maybe I was wrong about you, Hanayo-chan. Maybe it's not just your eyes that are special, after all. Well, for now, let's see if she's right. If she is… I might have to keep a closer eye on her than I thought._

Chika shook the thought for now and grabbed Hanayo's hand, bringing her to the edge of town. She looked around for a good bit until she found an open area nearby, a small hill blocking vision of them from the town. This would be loud and ugly looking, but she saw no other way unless they wanted to search for an underground entrance for days. And that didn't appeal to her in the least. She made a quick call to notify HQ that they would have to haul ass over there if they wanted this to be kept a secret.

"Alright, Hanayo-chan." Chika summoned her katana to her side. "Grab on to my back and don't let go."

"Y-Your back?"

"Mm. We're going down. Now, come on." With a bit of hesitation, Hanayo wrapped her arms around the girl and held on tightly. "Now, if you please." Chika closed her eyes, waiting.

"Ah, right. I offer my heart."

As Chika began to see through the girl's eyes, she knew she was right. Something felt… different. Much different than when she borrowed Riko's eyes. Everything had an odd clarity to it, almost too clear. She could make out strange details in things. And something just felt wrong about it, like she shouldn't be looking through these eyes. Chika silently laughed to herself and drew her katana.

"Like I said, hold on very tightly until I land. I'll get us down there safely and protect you. Just look at whatever's closest to you, got it?" She felt a nod of confirmation from the girl and smiled. "Let's go, then. Sun style, 8th blade." Chika brought her sword up and slammed it into the ground. "Supernova." The ground exploded underneath them, a deafening roar that could easily be heard a mile and more out. The town must have been scared witless, thinking somebody had just set a bomb off or something. Well, Chika had warned HQ so, as far as she was concerned, it was their problem now.

Hanayo screamed as the two fell, the force of the girl's sword travelling so deep that it caught the underground cavern they were looking for. And the two fell straight in, deeper than Hanayo would have thought until Chika made a graceful landing. Hanayo let out a squeak as she opened her eyes after the fall. Hundreds, no thousands of twisted humanoid beasts that walked on all fours, grey sagging skin, black holes where their eyes should be, all stopped to look at the disturbance.

"Ah, these things are really gross. But your sense was spot on, Hanayo-chan. It looks like a colony of E rank demons. It's pretty rare to find a colony these days, but oh well. I'll take care of them quickly." Hanayo let go of the girl and backed away to the closest wall that was clear. "If any get remotely close to you, just look, I'll be there to save you." There was a pause. "Hanayo-chan, watch me. And use this as a chance to think about how Honoka-chan really feels."

"Eh? Honoka-chan?"

"Ahaha, let's get this on! Sun style, 7th blade." A quick strike from her katana destroyed a line of the beasts, their bodies exploding into tiny piece and black blood. "Sunburst. Come on, all you demons! I'm right here!" Taking that provocation, the colony swarmed for her, horrible screeching noises filling and echoing around the cavern. Luckily, thanks to Hanayo's enhanced sight from demon blood, she had no trouble seeing everything in that darkness.

"Sun style, 9th blade." A host of the creatures jumped at Chika, looking to pile on top of her, but every single one in the air was blown to pieces. "Superflare. Sun style, 8th blade." With a single swing of her sword, she blew away hundreds of the creatures, their bodies bursting into nothing, the ground of the cavern torn to shreds in the wake of Chika's blade. "Supernova. Sun style, 2nd blade." Chika ran forward, jumping into the swarm and a swing of her katana in a 360 round her destroyed everything close to her. "Solar halo. Ahaha, this is more fun than I thought it would be! How do you like, Hanayo-chan? You get to see my blades unleashed!"

Hanayo didn't answer. But that's because she was genuinely speechless. Chika flowed one blade into another so casually, so smoothly, it felt as if they were the same blade. If she didn't speak the name of the blades, Hanayo wouldn't have been able to tell where one blade ended and the next began. That katana sliced through everything that dared to venture remotely close to it. And even those that didn't met the fate of destruction by the brilliance of the Sun. Even if she wanted to look around, to make sure she kept her eyes on demons, she found her Chika in the centre of her vision, which was probably a good thing since it would be the least likely to disorient Chika. But she had been a demon slayer for a long time with Riko, so it would likely mean nothing to her no matter where Hanayo looked. And that was put to the test immediately.

A screech from above and Hanayo instinctually looked up, dragging Chika's attention away from her fight, to see one of the beasts falling from the darkness towards her. "Sun style, 7th blade, Sunburst." The creature above her exploded instantly and Hanayo's eyes were drawn back to Chika who, with Hanayo's eyes back on her, continued her fight. "That's it, Hanayo-chan! I told you, I'll protect you! Don't worry about a thing! You just need to listen for them!"

After a few minutes of this fighting with the occasional distraction to save Hanayo from a stray demon, the numbers had thinned out considerably. But a chill went up Hanayo's spine and she yelled out to the orange-haired storm that was sweeping through demons.

"Chika! There's a big one! It's coming!"

"Haha, let it come!" Sure enough, the small beasts all parted to let a massive humanoid come through on all fours. It looked mostly the same except for patches of black on its skin and its eyes glowed a deep red. It let out a horrendous scream that made Hanayo shudder, but she kept her eyes on it, knowing Chika was more than capable of taking this thing on. But she had to admit, she started to have the slightest worry when five more of the beasts showed up behind that one.

"Chika!"

"Don't worry, Hanayo-chan! Just believe in me!" In that moment, Hanayo saw a bit of her partner in that girl. She could see Honoka smiling like that while yelling the same line before diving into a host of demons to protect her. A small smile crept onto her face. "Well then, now that the leaders here are done hiding, how about we clean this up finally? Eh, looks like there are probably less than a thousand of you by now. You must have been getting worried, huh? That's pretty funny. Do demons worry about their fellow kin or is it just because they serve under you? Well, not like that matters to me. I'll be killing all of you here and now."

Guttural roars ensued from all the larger demons and then the smaller ones and the large demons charged the girl. "That's it! Come at me all at once! Watch closely, Hanayo-chan! Sun style, 4th blade." Hanayo felt like everything slowed down and she struggled to keep her eyes on the girl in front of her. A blazing light, an intense heat, the flash of steel, the force of the sun, clean strikes, meaningful strikes. Hanayo's mind could barely register what was happening. She could see Chika moving, but somehow couldn't keep up with her at the same time. It was like the feeling she got if she accidentally looked into the sun and away quickly, a disoriented feeling that left her feeling a bit dazed.

"Solar storm." And just like that, the battle was over. By the time Hanayo could focus again, there was nothing to focus on. Black blood stained the stone everywhere. The large demons were nowhere to be found, likely cut into tiny pieces that rested in the piles of demon parts. "Ah, that wasn't so bad." Hanayo felt the connection break as Chika turned to her with open eyes and walked over to her, a broad smile on her face. "That was pretty fun, huh? We should do this again sometime. I'm sure Riko-chan and Honoka-chan wouldn't mind."

"U-Um, maybe sometime…" Hanayo was still pretty stunned by what she had just witnessed, but she nodded anyways, thinking that this was an interesting experience, but it might not be great to experience it all the time.

"Besides…" Chika suddenly grabbed Hanayo's chin gently, tilting her head so they were looking into each other's eyes. "Your eyes are beautiful, Hanayo-chan. Looking through them… was really something." A deep red tint quickly took over Hanayo's face as she struggled with a response.

"I-I-I… U-Um… C-Chika…!"

Chika spent another few seconds of silence staring into the girl's eyes before letting go and gesturing to her back.

"Hang on. We're going back up." Hanayo blinked a few times, her embarrassment replaced with confusion, but she grabbed on nevertheless and Chika quickly returned them to the surface where some 'workers' were sectioning off the area. A few gave a nod to Chika as she passed by and she returned it before exiting the area.

And soon enough they were on the train back towards Tokyo, Hanayo replaying both the amazing and confusing events of the day again in her head. Should she say something? Maybe it really was just a compliment and she was overthinking it. Chika seemed like an eccentric type of girl after all, so she wouldn't put it past her. But the way she talked about her eyes still made Hanayo uncomfortable. But just as she was about to speak up, Chika beat her to the punch.

"Say, Hanayo-chan." Chika turned a serious look to her, her head resting on her hand, elbow against the window. "Your eyes… no. The demon who killed you. Do you remember it?"

"E-Eh?" That question was the last one she expected. And she considered changing the subject, but when she saw the look Chika was giving her, she tried to dig back in her memories. The memory of her death was fuzzy. She remembered it was a humanoid demon that killed her but that was about it. And she only remembered that because she had seen the silhouette of the demon against the moonlight. In her memories she thought she could hear something, something faint. Somebody speaking? As she tried to remember, a splitting headache assaulted her, and she grabbed her head. "It hurts… I-I… don't remember much… just… that it looked like a human…" That didn't help though, she though. There were plenty of demons who took humanoid forms.

"I see." Chika seemed to accept that answer and her usual smile returned. "Sorry for putting you through that pain." The headache was starting to fade now that Hanayo wasn't trying to remember.

_A humanoid, huh? That seals it. I just need to confirm something with Void-chan and I'll have solved Hanayo-chan's mystery. Ha, this was a fun game, but it looks like it's about to end. After that, all that's left is finishing Honoka's puzzle. I may have deduced everything I can about her, but… There's still something missing. I can tell. And I feel like I'm running out of time to find out. Come on, Honoka-chan, give me a hint. Tell me the real secret of that blade of yours._

"So, do you feel a bit better now, Hanayo-chan?"

"E-Eh?"

"Ha… I was hoping you would think about it, but I guess my battle might have been distracting." Chika sat up straight. "Hanayo-chan, we demon slayers form an unbreakable bond with our partners, one that will never allow us to be separated. Honoka-chan… I'm sure she feels the same. The bond you two have is one that will never break. It's one that can't break. Neither one of you can decide something for yourself anymore. Everything had become a decision of both of you."

"W-What do you…?"

"If you're unsatisfied with Honoka's decision, tell her. No, don't just tell her. Demand that she listens to you. You two are relatively new to this demon slayer stuff, so this bond may not be as obvious yet, but you'll see it as time goes on. So, don't hide your feelings. Ah, I know what you're going to say. You tried to say something, right? Well, that's not enough. Yell it. With all of your heart, yell what you need to say. It doesn't matter where you are or who is around. Partners are of one heart. If you tell her those feelings, I'm sure she'll answer them. But, no matter what you fear her answer may be, you have to spell out those feelings first."

_Spell out… my feelings._

Hanayo somehow felt like she could do that if she tried now, but would she feel the same in a few hours? What if she waited another day? Would she still be able to yell out those feelings? Is she even truly ready now to do so or was that just a passing feeling? She was broken from her thoughts by Chika sitting next to her.

"Hanayo-chan, don't worry. If you spend life worrying, nothing good will ever happen. We have a limited time, so we need to make the most out of it. If you want to run, you need to take a step. Life is just a series of steps we take, sometimes slow walking, something running full speed. Right now, you need to run full speed ahead. Move your feet and let your heart carry you. I guarantee that's the only way you'll find happiness."

Chika's smile melted the nervousness around Hanayo's heart, and she returned it, somehow feeling relieved, as if a great burden had been lifted. Chika seemed to notice and nodded contently, sitting back. Hanayo made the decision to tell her. Next time she saw Honoka she would tell her exactly how she feels. That was the only way to do things. Chika was right. Honoka and her were partners. And they always would be. So, she shouldn't be afraid to speak her mind. She would make sure Honoka got to see it, all of her heart.

"Thank you, Chika."

* * *

**Detective Chika is on the case.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	22. Hanayo & Honoka

**Things are spicing up.**

* * *

**4 days left until the dinner party**

Hanayo opened the door to their shared apartment quietly. She had spent some more time with Chika and waited around a bit to see if Riko would come back, but she hadn't. So now, in the middle of the night, she crept into the apartment, not turning the lights on. She glanced around but Honoka wasn't there and the light the bedroom was off meaning she was probably asleep already. Hanayo breathed a disappointed sigh, hoping that her partner would be up so she could discuss things.

With a sigh she downed a glass of water before quietly entering their room to grab her nightwear for a shower. But, to her surprise, Honoka wasn't in the bed. And, as if on cue, she heard the front door open and peaked out to see Honoka entering with a yawn. The ginger-haired girl spotted and gave an awkward smile.

"I'm back, Hanayo-chan."

"You were out pretty late, Honoka-chan…"

"Ah, yeah. Just took a walk to get my mind off of things." She rubbed the back of her head, turning her eyes away. "I guess I just had a lot to think about after today. I'm… sorry for not telling you earlier, Hanayo-chan. But, you know, I didn't want you to worry! Don't worry, I'll be—"

"You…" Hanayo said something, but Honoka couldn't catch most of it, it was so quiet.

"Eh? Hanayo-chan? Did you—?"

"You should be!" Hanayo's sudden outburst made Honoka instinctually take a step back. "You should be sorry, Honoka-chan! You want me to be safe? You want to run ahead into danger with no plan? Don't give me that crap! We're partners, aren't we!? We're friends, aren't we!? For this entire year, I've always trusted you! No matter what, I know you'll be there for me! I know you're so protective, you'd sooner throw yourself into the demons with no weapon than let them get near me! I trust you! Completely! With my everything! So… So…" Hanayo clenched her fists so tightly she lost feeling in them. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn't back away, staring down her friend. "I just want you to trust me! I want to be there for you! No matter what, no matter when! Do you trust Seira-san more than me!? The Four Seasons more than me!?"

Honoka finally snapped out of her shock enough to attempt to speak. "N-No, Hanayo-chan, I—"

"Then show it! I don't care for you excuses! 'I just want to protect you, Hanayo-chan! I don't know what I would do if you died!' Well, what about how I feel!? It's… It's the same for me! Do you think I'll just go about life normally if you died somewhere far off, fighting demons without me by your side!? Is that really how you feel?" Hanayo's throat hurt and she stopped to take deep breaths but before Honoka could get a word in, she looked up at her friend with fierce eyes and continued. "Don't you dare! I'm not done yet! You can apologize all you want, but I don't want these secrets! I've told you everything this past year! We confided our fears, our doubts in each other! And yet… when it comes to this you lie to me! I never want to have to doubt you, Honoka-chan! I want to believe every word you say! And… I want to be with you every step of this journey! We promised each other back then, didn't we!? We promised that we would never be separated, that we would face everything together! Was that a lie!? Did you just tell me what I wanted to hear!? Were you laughing at me the whole time!?" Of course, Hanayo didn't believe that for a second. But all of her emotions poured out with no filter. "I just… I just want you… to feel the same way about me. I just want us… to stay together through all of this…" Hanayo fell to her knees, the exhaustion from yelling finally getting to her. "I want… to stay close. I want us to be there for each other. That's… all I want…" Tears streamed down her cheeks and she started sobbing.

_I… What am I doing? Was I in the wrong this whole time? I thought… Well, it's hard to convince myself otherwise when Hanayo-chan is crying in front of me. I just wanted to protect her, but… Ah, this is just like Master and I, isn't it? No, it's deeper than that. It's true. In the end, Hanayo-chan and I should always be there for each other. While being Master and heir is something similar to parent and child, being partners is even closer. I've neglected her because I thought I was doing the right things for her. Ryoma-san told me not to hold back. And here, even more so than when fighting demons, I need to hold nothing back._

Honoka reached up and touched the red scarf, feeling the slight tingle of unknown magic from it. It was somehow comforting, making her think of her master… the master she had been hiding stuff from. Honoka sighed, knowing all of this would have to come out eventually. Instead of walking up to comfort her crying friend, she spoke from where she stood, staring at the ground.

"You're right. You're completely right. I've been a really bad friend and partner. I thought I was protecting you by keeping things from you, but I was too much of an idiot to see how much it hurt you. Ha… I had planned to say everything eventually, but that would mean nothing, right?" She took a few steps forward to hold out a hand to her friend. "Come on. Let's sit and I'll explain everything. We have a long night ahead of us apparently."

Hanayo hesitantly took the hand, something that made Honoka's chest sting a bit, but it was understandable given the situation. They moved to the table, sitting across from each other, Honoka staring down, thinking of a good first topic.

"Well, let's see… No matter how what I've said has been misconstrued, I trust you completely. No matter what, I always will, even if all this demon slayer stuff eventually comes to an end. I know you know that, but I thought I should say it anyways. Well, with that out of the way, I guess I should talk about the Four Seasons." Hanayo perked up at that a bit. "Specifically, about me. You've heard Master say it before, right? That she was chosen by Winter. A long time ago, before we were together again, when I had only mastered a few blades, when we were still in Japan, Master showed me the secret of the Four Seasons. This is something that's never to leave this room. I'm telling you because we're partners, but you can never tell anyone." Honoka didn't need to look to know her friend had nodded. "The Four Seasons has long known the Hallowed Ground of the First Demon Lord or, as Master likes to call it, ground zero, the birthplace of the First Demon Lord."

* * *

"Master, by that you mean…"

"Yes. This is place you'll feel closest to the Four Seasons, Honoka. Now that you're my heir, I thought you should see this. You can feel it, can't you? The longing from your demon blood, from your Demonbrand. Close your eyes and let it through. Listen to the Four Seasons closely."

"Listen…" I look at my Demonbrand in my hand. What is Seira… Master trying to do? I don't get it. I haven't even learned all the blades of one style yet, so why…? But when I look at her, she nods firmly, so I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

Listen… listen…

"Honoka…"

"Master?"

I open my eyes, but my master isn't the one standing there. A tall girl, blonde hair flowing in a gentle breeze, back to me. I look around. Master is nowhere. The clearing even looks different. Red and yellow leaves cover it, unmoving even in this breeze. The person doesn't turn to face me, even when I call out. But I hear a voice. It's familiar but… I can't quite place where I've heard it.

"Honoka… Ah, it's no good… You can't listen to me now…" The voice fades in and out, quiet to louder than it needs to be. "Honoka, I…"

Instead of a voice, I get… information. My head is filled with so much that it's painful. I fall to my knees, screaming in pain, the headache threatening to split my skull. I barely manage to open my eyes against that pain, to look up at the girl one more time. She's facing me, but I can't see her face for some reason. It's like a camera that's horribly out of focus. She holds out her hand and speaks, but I can't hear what she's saying. The leaves swirl in a torrent around us, the wind picking up, the headache getting worse. My head hurts so much, I'm sure I'm going to lose consciousness.

"Honoka… It's a shame… that this is the only time… we'll get to speak… but…" There are unnatural pauses in the voice, the volume still shifting uncontrollably, only adding to my headache. "Take… my hand… Honoka…"

For some reason, I feel desperate to complete her request. I reach out my hand, but she feels so far away. She's still speaking, but none of those words reach me. The information feels like it's just passing through my head. I feel like I know everything and nothing at the same time. I stretch until I can't anymore, my finger just millimeters from.

"Ahhh!" I use all my strength to push through that pain and feel that hand. I grab it and immediately everything fades to darkness.

"Good job… Honoka. Bye bye."

* * *

"The girl I spoke to… Honestly, I knew nothing about it. When I opened my eyes, I was back in that Hallowed Ground with Master at my side as if nothing had happened. I told her and she just nodded. Maybe she knew. It wasn't until I first used the autumn blade that I would learn, that all those memories would come back to me, the information she gave me, the true secret of the autumn blade." Honoka summoned her katana and placed it on the table in front of her, running a hand along it. "Master once told me that the autumn blade was made for killing people, not demons. At first, I didn't believe her. But… when I used the autumn blade for the first time, I knew… she was right."

"Honoka-chan…" Hanayo finally spoke up but Honoka motioned for her to wait.

"This is something I've even kept from Master. I'm sure she already knows part of it, but… not truly. To use the autumn blade is to lose our very humanity. I truly believe to this day that the 'girl' I met in that dream was the autumn season itself. Master told me she had a similar experience, but she didn't have a vision like I did, just heard the voice of Winter. Ah, I'm getting a little off track here, aren't I? Right, the autumn blade…" Hanayo stared into her friend's eyes, but those eyes were looking somewhere far away. "It's probably hardly noticeable since we're demon slayers with extended lifespans but using the autumn blade chips away at that."

"Chips away… Honoka-chan, you don't…!"

"Mm. Ironic, isn't it? The power that gives us this life also takes it away. Using the autumn blades deals irreparable damage to my lifespan. Master knows this. I know she does even if she doesn't tell me. That's the real reason she never wanted me to use the autumn blade. She believed she was protecting me. But, I…" Honoka looked down at her hand and smiled. "I can't run away from Autumn. No matter how far I run, I'll always come back to this blade, Hanayo-chan. Ah, sorry, I didn't mean for things to get sad there. That isn't the true secret of the blade. Master knows that the original use of the autumn blade was to kill people, which is true. But… I think her master, Ryoma-san, knew this but didn't tell her. These blades… these Demonbrand… they didn't originate from humans, from demon slayers. No. They came from a betrayal."

"That's right."

Both of them turned, Honoka grabbing her katana and standing, to face the doorway at the sound of the voice. A woman with red hair stepped out from the dark entryway, a calm smile on her face.

"You're… Maki's mother?"

"Thank you for sparring with Maki, Honoka-chan. I'm glad to see her embracing the Moon again. She might not have come around if it weren't for you." Honoka didn't loosen her grip on her katana and just stared at the woman. "You seem so tense, Honoka-chan, why don't we—?"

"If you take another step forward, I'm cutting you down." Honoka tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword. "Why are you here? How did you get in here? Who…? No. What are you?"

"Haha. Is that any way to talk to your friend's mother? And a Head of the organization you're employed by?"

"I think it's closer to slavery than employment, honestly. It's not like I had a choice to begin with."

"Well, that's true." Maki's mother shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"So, I'm going to ask again. Why are you here, _Moon_?" She spat the last part, knowing her intuition had been right before. Something had felt off about the woman when Honoka had been at her house though she couldn't tell what it was. The fact that she had somehow gotten through Hanayo's barrier and showed up in their apartment unannounced was easily enough to confirm her suspicions.

A katana appeared in the woman's hand and she reached for the hilt.

"A Demonbrand? Impossible, Maki said she inherited her family's Demonbrand. You shouldn't have one anymore."

"I'm glad that you're such close friends with my daughter, Honoka-chan. I expect so much from you, from the Four Seasons. I wasn't sure how much you knew, but… Well, I heard what I wanted to hear. That Hallowed Ground… the best kept secret of the Four Seasons. Now that I know that you have that information, I can't let you leave, Honoka-chan. I'll have you show me, one way or another." Maki's mother gripped the hilt of her katana tightly, Honoka doing the same, ready to defend from whatever attack this woman was planning.

Though, just as the redhead's fingers twitched to pull the katana from its sheath, the door to the apartment was kicked in, drawing the attention of everyone.

"Ahaha, so that's what this is about. A Head doing something like this? People really wouldn't be happy to hear about that." It was Chika, calmly walking forward, Demonbrand still in its sheath at her side, a smile on her face showing she was entertained to no end from this development. "Come on, Nishikino-chan. That's no way to treat an employee, is it?"

Maki's mother narrowed her eyes.

"Sun, is it? It's certainly been a while since I've seen you or your master. I would prefer it if you didn't interrupt me. I might have to make _special _ arrangements to have you dealt with if you interfere." The smile faded from Chika's face as she stared the woman down with cold eyes.

"You can't defeat me, Nishikino." Maki's mother seemed agitated at the threat and she lifted the katana from the sheath slightly. But, without Chika moving, the katana was suddenly gone from the woman's hand, sent flying across the room to land behind Honoka and Hanayo. "Go on. Summon it back. See what happens."

The two stared at each other for a solid minute, Honoka keeping a grip on her katana in case this actually turned into a battle. She was more than a little nervous, but not about the situation with the Head. The look Chika was giving the woman was… disturbing to say the least. She wouldn't be surprised if Chika did actually cut the woman down right then and there.

"Ha… Why are you here, Sun?" The redhead seemed to accept that as fact as she didn't recall her katana. "What do you want? Are you that desperate to protect Four Seasons or something?" The smile returned to Chika's face as she saw that the woman wouldn't fight her.

"Haha. Nothing like that. Well, maybe a bit, but for my own enjoyment. I'm too close to solving the puzzle to have you destroy it. Besides… now that I'm here, I can see that Void-chan's suspicions were right."

"Void…?"

"Mm. As soon as Hanayo-chan and I returned, Void-chan contacted me. She said that after staring into the Void, she saw that Hanayo-chan and Four Seasons would be in danger… and that you would be the cause. I managed to find Hanayo-chan and follow her. Then all I had to do was wait for you to make your appearance. And now that I can see you again, after all this time… You really do smell terrible, Demon Lord."

* * *

**Cue dramatic music. Lot of reveals here and coming.**


	23. Seventh

**A short chapter with some buildup. I think the next chapter will be longer than usual. Enjoy.**

* * *

**4 days left until the dinner** **party**

"Demon… Lord…?" Honoka spoke slowly, staring down the woman who she believed to be her close friend's mother. She knew something had been wrong but never could have expected that.

"That's right, Honoka-chan." Chika smirked. "Are you mad that I've found you out? Haha. This is indeed the Seventh Demon Lord."

"Eh? But the Seventh was killed hundreds of years ago…"

"That's a part of the puzzle I haven't exactly completed yet. But, well, for what I can say… This isn't the original Nishikino-sama, obviously. And, judging from the fact that you're using her essence to mask yourself, it means that she must still be alive. In addition to that… you're incredibly weak for a Demon Lord. You're not just suppressing your aura, it's practically nonexistent."

That was it, Honoka realized. Normally, when she was around someone incredibly powerful, she could practically feel them just by being nearby. However, when she was near Nishikino, she never felt that even though this woman was a Head and the Master to the Moon.

"What did you do to Maki-chan's mother?"

"Worrying about that woman in this situation? How touching, looking out for your friends…" A black liquid began to leak under her, slowly spreading out in an even circle around her.

"That's… Don't touch it, Honoka-chan. The magic of the Seventh Demon Lord, is it? I've heard about it. The liquid of death, a black liquid that can drag you straight to the underworld. I'm surprised you can even manage to use that in the state you're in."

"It would seem you're underestimating me, Sun. Now that I'm so close… I won't let this get away from me!" The black liquid shot up towards Chika, the girl readying her sword but suddenly the liquid reversed direction and shot back to the floor at the woman's feet.

And they all felt it. This was what Honoka had meant. An oppressive aura that, without even looking, told you that there was a powerful person nearby. Luckily Honoka also knew that she was on their team. The door slowly opened behind Chika and the silence was so absolute, the soft footsteps of the girl rang throughout the small apartment.

"Come on, Sun. You can't even tell that this isn't truly the Seventh Demon Lord?" Yoshiko walked up next to the heir to Sun, a smile on her face. "Haha, this is pitiful! Look at what you've become! You're naught but a shadow of the Seventh Demon Lord." But that laugh and smile quickly faded as she looked at the spreading black liquid with disgust. "Get that out of my sight. Void style, 3rd blade." The Demon Lord prepared to defend but her eyes just hung open in shock as she looked down, the liquid having been completely wiped away in an instant. "Last words."

"Void, you…" The woman grinded her teeth and looked ready to jump at her, but she thought better of that. "You knew all along? How?"

That seemed to break Yoshiko out of her seriousness once again, the girl placing a hand to her face and bursting out in laughter, her other hand holding her stomach. Everybody, the other demon slayer included, watched her with a bit of shock as she laughed louder than any of them would have imagined. Chika just stared blankly at the girl, waiting for her to stop.

"How did I know!? Are you truly the shadow of the Seventh Demon Lord? You know who I am, but you can't tell!? Ahaha! Ah, this is rich. This is it. This idiocy, unfit for a Demon Lord. No wonder you were one of the first to go. Hahahaha! My sides hurt. They really do. I can't believe it. Is this a comedy show?"

The door creaked open a bit and they all heard a soft voice call out. "Y-Yoshiko-chan, are you okay?" Yoshiko turned slowly to stare at her redheaded friend who she had already forgot she brought along. She showed the girl a soft smile.

"It's alright. Keep waiting for her, alright, Ruby-chan?"

Ruby nodded and disappeared outside the door again, Yoshiko turning back to face the Demon Lord. A sigh escaped her mouth, her mood having changed drastically from that interruption. Chika enjoyed seeing her act a bit uncomfortable after the interaction with her old friend and noted, once again, that she was a genius for helping Ruby find Yoshiko.

"For her? Who —?" Nishikino started to ask but was cut off as a gash opened along her cheek, silencing her immediately.

"Quiet, trash. Yohane-sama is speaking." Yoshiko shook her head. "Ah, this isn't as fun anymore." She turned a glare at the woman. "The betrayal that led to the creation of Demonbrands, of demon slayers. I'm sure you're very aware of it."

"Tch. That's right. That bastard, the Sixth betrayed all of us, at the cost of his own life."

"Hmph. At least you're not as stupid as you seem. I've always wondered about the Sixth Demon Lord. Why would he betray his own kind to help humans? He gave us the tools to destroy even Demon Lords. But, well, that's the answer to your question. Your kin, the Sixth, created these swords and, inadvertently, created the styles that we would inherit as heirs and masters. I who take the burden of inheriting the Void am burdened with knowledge. When I have a question, I simply gaze into the Void and receive my answer." She eyed the woman with a smirk. "And the Void was all too ready to talk about you, Seventh."

Yoshiko raised her sword from her sheath, holding it up to stare at the blade. A strange feeling came over the room at the sight of the sword, a tense atmosphere as if she would slice down everything in the room with just a swing.

"Void, Sixth… It all pisses me off…" The girls watched as the black liquid slowly started dripping from the woman again, but this time they all hesitated as her arm began melting and then the rest of her body, becoming a mass of the liquid. "It's frustrating!" The liquid began spreading once again, but all three of the demon slayers were quick to react, though they had to somewhat hold back so they didn't destroy the apartment.

"Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade."

"Sun style, 5th blade."

"Void style, 3rd blade."

"Whiteout." "Solar flare." "Last words."

They struck just between each other's blades, all perfectly hitting their opponent. But they realized too late that their strikes hadn't connected, and the liquid shot across the room under their feet, dragging them all down into it. And just like that, everybody in the Kousaka-Koizumi apartment was banished to the Underworld.

* * *

The slight squeaking, the sound of wheels gliding across the ground drew Ruby's attention away from her daydreaming outside the apartment. Yoshiko had told her to wait, but she really wanted to go in and see what was going on. Yoshiko had looked scary before and that made her worried. Sometimes Void needed somebody to keep her check.

"Ah, you must be Ruby-chan." Beautiful long purple hair and a kind smile greeted Ruby as she saw a girl who looked just a bit older than her rolling towards her in a wheelchair. "Sorry I'm late. I usually have Yoshiko with me to bring me places as it's become quite hard for me, but I'm here now."

"A-Ah, then you're… the Master of Void?" Ruby quickly bowed several times. "I-I'm sorry. Y-Yoshiko-chan is inside with the others…"

"Haha. I'm not your master, so feel free to just call me Erena. Or well, if you prefer Void, that is fine with me as well. Four Seasons, her partner, and Sun should be there, right? If you don't mind, could you open the door for me, Ruby-chan?"

"R-Right." Erena rolled herself in front of the door and Ruby slowly opened it. And immediately the black liquid shot out, straight for the redhead who didn't even have time to scream. But it sliced away immediately, never reaching her. "Hmph. So, the Void told us the truth after all. Well, of course it did. Just look at this…"

Ruby and Erena looked inside the apartment to see everything covered in pure black. None of the girls were there but Void had figured that would be the case.

"They got caught by her after all. Well then, Ruby-chan. It looks like you have a choice."

"A-A choice."

"Mm. You see, that woman's magic, the magic to bring people to the Underworld, has done just that. I fear my heir and your friends have been dragged down there. It looks like I have no choice but to go after them. Will you come with me? I won't force you to or anything and it's perfectly understandable if you refuse. After all, this will be a very dangerous rescue mission. Though, if you do come, I promise you that I'll protect you. Well, what will it be?"

Ruby's first instinct was to refuse, of course. But when she thought that Yoshiko, her best friend who she had worked so hard to be reunited with, was down there, she steeled herself and nodded. The Master of Void smiled at that and gestured for them to go forward.

"If you don't mind, would you wheel me in there? Ah, and don't panic when you feel yourself sinking. It'll happen fast. And, whatever you do, don't let go of the wheelchair, just in case we can separated on the way down. It's been quite a long time since I've been to the Underworld so I can't say it functions the same as back then."

Though that just raised questions with the redhead, she swallowed her fear and wheeled the chair and girl in until they were both standing in the black liquid. And, just as Erena had said, Ruby immediately felt like she was being pulled down and it took everything for her not to scream in panic. But soon her world was enveloped in darkness.

* * *

**But Erena was in A-RISE this whole time! How could she be a demon slayer!? And why is she in a wheelchair!?**

**All answers come with time. Hope you enjoyed.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	24. Underworld I

**Next chapter might be an interlude, I'm not sure yet. Don't hold me to that.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**…**

Darkness. A never-ending wall of darkness that Honoka couldn't find the way through. She kept walking and walking, keeping her hands against that wall, trying to find something, anything, a door maybe, an opening. But nothing. As she walked, she would occasionally hear something, the sound of something hitting the ground as if dropped. But in that vast expanse of absolute darkness, she could see nothing. The infinite darkness wore on her, and she steadily got more and more tired, but forced her body to keep going, having a bad feeling about falling asleep in this place.

The air was heavy, she was sure there were actual weights on her shoulders trying to drag her to the ground, trying to make her give up. She tried calling out, but no voice would come, and she would just sigh, hoping to find the exit soon enough. How had she even got here? Vague memories lingered at the edge of her consciousness, but she found herself unable to grasp any of them, leaving her in a state of utter confusion, with no choice but to continue searching for an exit that may or may not even exist.

"..ka.." A voice, a soft-spoken voice calling out to her from somewhere beyond that infinite darkness. Thinking it was nothing, just like that sound she kept hearing, she tried to ignore it, but it got louder. "…noka!" Her head began hurting and she felt the need to close her eyes and rest more than ever. Her footsteps became slow and she stumbled every few steps. "Honoka!"

* * *

Honoka's eyes shot open, darting left and right, trying to get a hold of the situation. Hanayo was above her. Good. Hanayo is safe. In front of her was Chika talking to Yoshiko, the latter looking more than a little upset and the former just laughing. All the memories of before came flooding back to her then. The Demon Lord was nowhere to be found and she presumed that was probably why Yoshiko was so upset. Honoka stood and checked out their surroundings. From what she could tell, they were in some kind of cave, probably relatively deep in one. A lake of black sat before them with a host of stalactites hanging over it, dripping a black liquid into the water.

"This is… the Underworld?" Honoka managed, taking everything in.

"That's right. Welcome to Hell, Honoka-chan!" Chika yelled while laughing hysterically only to be silenced by a glare from Void who turned to face Honoka.

"You're finally awake, Four Seasons. Glad to see you didn't fall asleep in limbo. That aside, our situation… is as you can see. We only woke up less than an hour before you. When we woke up, that woman was nowhere to be seen. Hell, she's probably not even taking that form anymore. Damn shadow. When I see her again, I'll slice her to bits without giving her a chance to speak this time. I should have known that speaking with a Demon Lord would be a waste of time."

"It's no use thinking about that now, Void-chan." Chika spoke up. "We need to start looking for a way out of here. I'm no expert on Hell, but Master always said that it was dangerous to spend too much time here."

"Mm." Yoshiko nodded in agreement. "I've heard similar from my Master." She looked around and, all considered, unless they wanted to wade through the black liquid of the lake, there was really only way to go so she nodded in that direction. "Looks like that's our way out. Ah, Four Seasons and partner, it would seem plenty of your belonging got dragged down here with us so if you wish to keep anything, I'd suggest grabbing it or saying goodbye." She motioned towards the lake. Sure enough, a bunch of items, mainly kitchen items and articles of clothing were on the shore and in the water nearby.

The two walked up to inspect the items, but there wasn't much worth lugging around with them. They could always get more clothes and kitchen utensils, so they ignored mostly everything. Something did catch Honoka's eyes though, the briefcase Himeko had given them with plenty of elixers. Really, Honoka had no idea how that girl got her hands on so many of these or why she had given them to the two, but she wouldn't let them go to waste. A quick glance around and Honoka found an orange jacket of hers with inside pockets which she stuffed all of the vials into. It was a little uncomfortable, but she barely felt it when walking and they might come in handy if anybody got injured. Besides those, the two took nothing of note.

And so, the party began their trek through the Underworld, cautiously keeping an eye of their surroundings. The three demon slayers had their swords summoned at all times, ready for anything to jump out at them, but it was quiet… too quiet. Maybe it was because they were in a cave, but who was to say the entire Underworld wasn't just a cave system? Honoka, at least, had never heard much about the Underworld from her master so she wasn't really sure what she should expect.

But that notion was quickly blown away as they saw the exit to the cave in front of them, all four rushing forward to see what was lying in wait. The quiet was blown away. The screeches of far off demons reached their ears and, with a glance around, Yoshiko and Hanayo could see hundreds of demons flying high in the sky. The expanse in front of them was flat with thousands upon thousand of withering trees, shadows creeping around them, unclear but the noises were couldn't be anything but demons. A large red moon hung high in the black sky, spreading an eerie light on the land of the dead. Hanayo let the two other demon slayers borrow her eyes and, surprisingly, she found it to be not the least bit stressful on her body in this place.

"This is… definitely the Underworld." Chika said, looking around through Hanayo's eyes. "I never expected to come here, but well, looks like things happen. But the real question…"

"How are we going to find the Seventh in this massive place?" Honoka finished her sentence and Hanayo nodded in agreement.

"Fools." Yoshiko laughed and stepped forward. "We demon slayers draw on the power of the Underworld, the power that birthed the Demon Lords into our world long ago. If anything, we are exponentially more powerful here than anywhere. As such, I need only gaze into the Void and receive my answers."

Chika gave her a tired look, laughing a bit at seeing herself do so through the girl's eyes, really getting annoyed at this "gazing into the void" business that Yoshiko kept bringing up whenever she encountered a problem. Really, Chika never said she would ask the Sun for help. So they just watched Yoshiko as she drew her katana and held it in front of her.

"The empty of the Void." A small black flame appeared near the tip of her katana. "The forsaken man." Another flame. "The hopeless mortals." Another. "The death of all." A fourth. "May all return to the Void."

The fifth flame. And with it, the fire exploded outwards, a fire that burned without brightness, a darkness that loomed in front of the four, still and ominous. Yoshiko stared into that flame intensely, unblinking, not even breathing. Honoka almost tapped her but felt like she shouldn't Yoshiko remained still for well over a minute, her gaze locked on those black flames of nothing in front of her. And then, in an instant, the flame dispersed, and Yoshiko fell to her knees, panting for air. And this time Honoka did run up to her and put a hand on her back, gently rubbing.

"A-Are you okay, Yoshiko-chan?"

"I… I'm fine… A small price to pay… for gazing into the Void…" After another minute of calming her breathing, Yoshiko stood, sheathing her katana and turning to her companions with a smile. "The Void would not tell me the exact location, but I know the way we must go. It has pointed to us where our destination lies. Let's set forth immediately. If word gets around that humans, demon slayer no less, are here, I'm sure we'll be swarmed."

And so, began the walk. None of them were sure how far they walked, but Honoka made a point to carry Hanayo several times as, without the increased stamina the demon blood provided the other three with, that walk would be near impossible. By the time they finally took a break for the three demon slayers to rest, Honoka gently letting Hanayo down, they had arrived at the first clearing through this seemingly infinite forest. Several large stones were set around and the girls took those as seats.

"Ah, geez. Does this ever end?" Chika asked, waving herself with a hand. The two had temporarily broken their connection with Hanayo even though she had insisted that it wasn't hurting her. "Are you sure this is the way, Void-chan? If we get stuck wandering through this forest forever, I'll be pretty upset, you know? Ah, if only Riko-chan was here. She would have brought a picnic basket full of sandwiches or something."

"That sounds nice…" Honoka rubbed her stomach thinking about how nice it would be to relax and eat something right about now. Instead, they... well, were here. Just as Honoka was about to start one of her signature complaint rants, Chika held up a hand to silence her. She nodded to Hanayo and closed her eyes, Honoka doing likewise when she realized what was going on.

"I offer my heart."

Yoshiko was already looking around by the time the two were borrowing her eyes and she wore a frown, sensing the demons closing in on them. Too many.

"From those auras… all A rank, possibly? Then again, maybe it's different in Hell. Well, looks like we'll have to do some fighting after all." Her katana appeared in hand, but Chika just laughed and motioned for her to sit back down while she stood, her Demonbrand already in hand.

"Let me handle this one, Void-chan. I've been meaning to give this a try anyways."

Through Hanayo's eyes, she could see… _something_ in the distance. Many somethings. They tore down the withering trees as they charged towards them from all side, hundreds of the beasts. That would be one hell of fight if they were to get surrounded and forced to fight everything in super close quarters. Luckily, that was why Chika volunteered to take care of it. She jumped onto the tallest of the rocks and drew her sword.

"Let your eyes enjoy it, Hell! For once, the Sun will shine on your desolate land! Haha!" Chika took a deep breath and held her Demonbrand up. "Sun style, 2nd blade." A flash of light, the sun itself raining light upon the land for just a brief second. At least, that's what it looked like to the other three girls. And with that flash of light, every tree for as far as they could see was cut, the sounds of the demons gone, everything back to quiet immediately. "Grand Solar Halo." Chika opened her eyes and shot a smirk Yoshiko's way as if that was just to show off to her.

"Hmph. A modified version of one of you blades?"

"Yup!" Chika gave a little salute. "It's just something I've been thinking about. I like having blades that can reach far so changing Solar Halo to reach even farther only made sense to me. Looks like it came in handy anyways. Don't I get a thanks, Void-chan?" Chika moved closer to the girl and nudged her side.

"You're impossible to deal with, Sun…"

"You can just call me Chika-chan, you know~"

"Silence, Sun."

"Ahaha! You're no fun, Void-chan. Well, now that that fiasco is over, how about we start moving again? I may have killed all of them, but any demon remotely nearby now knows our position. I wouldn't be surprised to see this forest covered in demons soon."

Void nodded her agreement and started leading the way once again. Honoka made sure her partner was fine to walk for a while and the three ran to catch up with their friend. No matter how much they walked though, they never felt like they were making progress.

Yoshiko suddenly stopped, tilting her head as if listening for something. She looked at the ground and stared intently, the other girls watching her in confusion. Then she burst out laughing, making them all shrink back.

"That's what it is!? That's it!? We couldn't have realized it sooner? Ah, some demon slayers we've proven ourselves as." She turned to face the girls, pointedly looking at Hanayo. "You, partner of Four Seasons, do you not feel it?"

"I do." Hanayo said, surprising her. "I-I think so, anyways. You mean… the heartbeat, right? Since you didn't say anything, I thought it was just me… II probably should've said something earlier."

"Hmph. I thought the same for a bit, so don't worry about it." Chika smirked at seeing the great Void being considerate of somebody for once. "I assume you two don't hear anything." The other two demon slayer shook their heads. "I figured. This forest, this whole place we've been walking through… I thought it was weird that we weren't making any real progress. This entire thing is a demon."

"E-Eh?" Honoka tilted her head. "A demon? The forest? But we can see it…"

"I should be more specific. The demon itself is under us, but this is definitely a part of it, or an extension rather, created by some type of demon magic. I'm guessing that not much that makes it in here comes out. Or maybe it was made for wandering souls but ended up capturing us instead. What a joke. To think we've been walking all this time without realizing it. Hmph. Sun, you have a blade that can get through, correct?" Chika thought for a second and nodded.

Chika's Demonbrand appeared in hand and she drew it, thinking that this would be a great time to see exactly what her blade was capable of. "Sun style, 8th blade." With both hands, she lifted the katana into the air before slamming it down, the katana easily slicing through the magically created land, but went even deeper than that. "Supernova." The explosion of pure force and energy sent cracks spreading out in every direction and the 'land' vanished from under them, but they were still standing on something, something that two of the demon slayers couldn't see. "Hanayo-chan!"

"A-Ah, right! I offer my heart." Honoka and Chika closed their eyes and could now see what they stood upon.

A gigantic demon that looked much akin to a turtle was what they were standing on. Cracks went through its shell in every direction, presumably from Chika's blade. "Void, Four Seasons, I'll break this shell, so can one of you strike it down." Yoshiko seemed to be prepared but she shook her head and smiled at Honoka.

"Show me, Four Seasons, that you're capable of at least this." Honoka nodded, summoning her katana to her side. Chika nodded at that and lifted her blade once again.

"Sun style, 8th blade." She struck again, her sword digging into the shell. "Supernova." And as the words left her mouth, almost the entire shell broke apart, pieces flying away from the gigantic beast, the damage exceeding even what Yoshiko had expected. Dull gray flesh was exposed under that shell and Honoka took a deep breath and gripped the hilt of her katana.

"Four seasons, autumn style, 3rd blade." All of the flesh around this gigantic beast burst, black blood flooding the area around them, a loud cry from the beast shaking the very depths of the Underworld. "Falling leaves." And the giant beast fell, the innumerable deep wounds on it still pouring out blood. Honoka grabbed Hanayo before carefully jumping off of the beast with the other two. Instead of a forest, they were greeted by soil. Or, something that resembled soil at least. Honoka felt a slight tingle of magic from it and reached up to touch the red scarf around her neck.

"Well done." Yoshiko nodded her approval and Chika laughed, walking up and slapping Honoka on the back.

"We make a pretty good team, huh? First the Hydra and now we're fighting whatever the hell this thing is in the Underworld together? We should do this more often!" Honoka just laughed at that. "It looks like you're less reserved about using your autumn blade as well. That makes me happy. Demon slayers should never hold back unless they want to."

Honoka nodded but didn't comment on it. She looked at the sword in her hand and briefly glanced to her side, seeing a worried look from her partner. Well, that was to be expected what she told her about the autumn blade. But none of her other blades would have sufficed in that situations. Honoka thought back to her conversation with Chika after the battle with the Hydra. Chika had even acknowledged Honoka's ability to pick the perfect blade in any situation, but she had always hesitated because she wanted to follow her master's wish of not using the autumn blade. But now that that restriction no longer applied, she was able to fight freely.

And that… felt amazing. Honoka was smiling, she knew, and with good reason. The feeling of using the autumn blade was just right. It was something she couldn't describe but it just felt right whenever she used one. Hanayo probably wanted to tell her to not use those blades, but they both knew she had to. If she was forced to stop using them again, she would feel completely lost. Autumn would be there for her when she needed it and she felt comfort in that fact. With Autumn, she could easily protect herself and, more importantly to her, protect Hanayo.

"Four Seasons?" She looked up to see that Yoshiko and Chika had already started moving, Hanayo lingering behind to wait for her. "Come. Now that we've wasted so much time, we should get going immediately."

"Ah, right!" Honoka ran to catch up, grabbing Hanayo's hand and dragging her along with a big smile on her face. No matter what, even in the Underworld… no, especially in the Underworld, she would protect her partner. "Let's go, Hanayo-chan." Against that smile, even Hanayo couldn't stay worried and just returned it.

"Mm!"

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	25. Interlude - Master of the Four Seasons

**A short setup that needed nothing else. Look forward to the next chapter.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**? days left until the dinner party**

Maki glanced out the window of her mansion, watching the moon in the sky, a relaxing feeling spreading through her chest. She glanced down at her phone to the message Honoka hadn't responded to. She wanted to spar with her again but had received no responses yet. Apparently Umi hadn't been able to contact her that morning either so at least she wasn't ignoring her or something, not that she even considered that.

_I wonder if she's training with Seira-san… Wait. Seira-san._ That snapped Maki out of her thoughts and into action once again and she called up Seira. Luckily, unlike Honoka, she answered almost immediately.

"Hey, Maki-chan, what's up? Missing me already?" Maki thought she heard a voice from the other side and sure enough Seira spoke to someone else. "An old friend, the heir to the Moon. Yeah… Yeah. Ah, one sec, Mari, let me see what's going on. Hey, Maki-chan? Sorry about that. What's up?"

"Ah, um… I haven't been able to contact Honoka, so I was wondering if she was training with you maybe."

It suddenly felt like a rock dropped in Seira's stomach. She couldn't place why but Maki telling her that she couldn't contact Honoka made her nervous, unnecessarily so. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and glanced to her side at her lover, the worried look on the blonde girl's face telling her that Seira's emotions were displayed on her face. A cold sweat started down her back and she stood.

Then she heard it. A distant _something_, calling her to move. Something that she hadn't heard in a very long time, something that sent shivers down her spine, that made the room suddenly feel incredibly cold. Even though she couldn't hear it clearly, she knew what it was telling her, where it was drawing her to. She cursed under her breath.

"I'll go check on her, Maki-chan. She's probably just busy." Seira was pissed that she could tell that her worry was easily leaking out in her voice, but Maki agreed and Seira hung up, letting her arm fall to her side before glancing at her lover again.

"Seira…?" Mari stood up, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Seira swallowed a dark feeling that was building up in her, threatening to spill out in the presence of this girl. Damn, she really did hate love after all. After all these years she was about to let a whole lot of stuff out to this girl, a whole lot of stuff that she never wanted Mari to know. "I have to go check on Honoka… she's not answering her phone."

It was obviously more than that and Seira cursed herself for not being able to hide her feelings better in front of her lover. Mari gently touched her arm and the girl flinched but immediately regretted it, turning an apologetic look to Mari who was withdrawing her hand. Seira reached out and grabbed that hand in both of hers.

"Something more than that is definitely wrong… What's going on, Seira? I've never seen you like this before…"

"I…" Seira cursed under breath. "I just want to protect my heir… It's all my damn fault. If she dies…" A tear fell down Seira's cheek Mari reached up to wipe it away, calmly, slowly. "I'm going to protect her… no matter what." The last part hung in the air for a few seconds before she mumbled an apology and started walking towards the door. "You can…" Before she could finish, Mari was standing and arrived in front of her.

"I'm coming." She said sternly.

"Mari…"

"I'm coming."

Seira once again cursed her weakness but just nodded, throwing open the door and sprinting away, the Master of Sound following close behind, curious to no end why her lover was acting like that.

* * *

They arrived in front of her heir's apartment in record time, Mari breathing heavily and looking up as Seira desperately slammed her fist against the door yelling, "Honoka! Honoka!" No answer. Seira clenched her fists at her side and motioned for Mari to stand back. As soon as Sound did, she kicked the door in with one kick. And they were greeted by the room still covered in black liquid, the liquid shifting slightly in some areas but not moving towards them.

But they both recognized it immediately. The two were very well educated on the powers of the Demon Lords that were known and this was obviously the Seventh Demon Lord's power at work. They could feel the magic emanating from it, staining the air around them. Seira's eyes darted around but her heir was nowhere to be found. She steeled herself and began to step towards the liquid, but Mari grabbed her arm.

"Seira, what are you doing!? You know what that is. If you go down there, there's no guarantee you can come back!" Seira turned a desperate tear-filled face to her lover that made Mari flinch. "Seira…"

"Honoka is down there, possibly alone. I… I should have told her… I should have told her so much! I thought I was strong enough that… I thought I could have held it off! I thought I could… I thought I could protect her! I thought I could prevent everything, but I'm not even sure anymore." She shook her head, Mari looking at her in complete confusion, waiting for an explanation that never came. "I'm going to the Underworld. I can't… I can't let them get her. No matter what, I won't let those pieces of shit touch her." She squeezed her fists so tight she was losing feeling, the anger and worry building up inside to her, anger and worry that seemed almost too exaggerated to Mari but she could tell Seira really was that worried, that angry.

"Then, I'll go…"

Seira leaned in and pressed her lips against the girl and when she pulled back, Mari felt her head suddenly going light. And then her world went black, her last sight being an apologetic look from her lover, tears streaming down the Master of Four Seasons' face.

* * *

Seira slowly opened her eyes, basking in the feeling of that place, that place she never wanted to step foot in again. If she was here, then _they_ surely already knew she was there. A scowl adorned her face, one hand tightly clutching her katana at her side, the other clutched into a fist so tightly her hand was turning white. She glanced around, eyes lingering on the red moon in the sky and then she heard it, hundreds, thousand of screams, howls, all these terrible noises and she knew they were meant for her, that they were coming for her.

"I'm back."

* * *

**But why would Seira change so suddenly!?**

**All the answers in due time.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	26. Sonoda Umi IV

**READ: Okay, so uh, I had written the first part of this chapter before going to hang out with friends. A lot of alcohol and a bored me later, I came back trying to write but got tired of it immediately and just uploaded it. So I rewrote it. If you already read the chapter, please read again. Things will make sense.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Umi put her pen down and walked over to her bed, letting herself fall onto it. Their friend group had decided to avoid all this demon and demon slayer business as much as possible, but she knew they were all constantly thinking about it like her. They had agreed to treat Honoka and Hanayo as if nothing was different, but with all of this weighing on their minds, it was becoming hard. They had learned a lot about the two's time away when they were willing to talk about it, but when they weren't nobody would push the subject.

After all of this though, Umi just wanted to burst with questions. What was all of this business about Honoka walking into some kind of trap and potentially dying anyways? How can she just tell her friends that and expect them to not do anything? Too many things ran through the girl's mind and she couldn't be bothered to shuffle through all of them or even deal with them in order of importance.

She reached and grabbed her cellphone which had already been thrown on the bed. Her message to Honoka was still unread so she tried calling her but received no answer. Was it possible that Honoka was asleep already? Definitely possible, but she found that unlikely. She tried Hanayo and also received no answer.

"Honoka…" Umi clutched the cellphone, feelings of anxiety spreading through her. After her best friend had told them about that dinner party thing, she hadn't been able to relax. All she wanted to do was drag Honoka out of that world, but she knew from the girl's words it was impossible. In some sense, Honoka would be lost to them forever, even if they still hung out, even if she could one day start attending school again. Then again, by the time she could, they would probably all be in university like Eli and Nozomi.

She imagined herself, Honoka, and Kotori attending the same university, something she had wanted for a long time. Though, realistically, Kotori would go abroad to study fashion, so it would just be her and Honoka. But she had no idea what Honoka would even want to study in university or if she would just try to inherit her family's shop. No, for some reason she knew Honoka's parents would force her to go to university and that would probably be for her own good.

A smile came to Umi's face and she really hoped that that would one day come true. She looked at her phone again but neither of the girls had tried to call her back. Disappointed and worried, she got up and flicked the light off, returning to the bed and pulling her sheets over her. Maybe they really were just asleep, and she could just call them in the morning. With all this worrying, she just wanted to hear Honoka's voice, something she couldn't do every day anymore.

"Where did our time go…?"

Those times together, their time as a group, as _μ's_… A tear fell down her cheek as she thought about how they could never go back to that now. They would never go back to just being regular best friends, hanging out all the time, not worrying about this demon slayer business. That night, Umi cried herself to sleep for the first time in a year.

* * *

"Umi-chan, Umi-chan!"

Umi looked up from her desk to see her energetic ginger-haired best friend running towards her with Kotori in tow. This could only mean Honoka was about to drag the too into some kind of trouble. But, regardless of her knowing that, she still smiled.

"What is it, Honoka? You seem excited about something."

"That's right! I…" Honoka suddenly stopped as the light left her eyes, her body falling with a loud thud to the ground.

"Honoka!?" Umi stood to move over to her friend. "Kotori, help…" She looked up but Kotori had also fallen, as had everyone else in the classroom. "What…?"

"Ah, finally…" Honoka slowly got her arms under her and pushed herself up. But her voice was… weird, to say the least. It sounded like somebody else was talking at the same time as her. "I-I've been… w-waiting… to speak… to… to… speak with you… S…S…Sonoda… Umi…"

"Honoka, what are you talking about?" Umi took a step back. She glanced around and noticed that all the other students were gone now, even Kotori. "Where is… what…?" So many things were running through her mind she couldn't even begin to find out what was happening. She stared into her best friend's eyes, but those eyes were staring far off, straight through her.

"I… h-have n-no choice… what form… I take in y-y-your… your dream. T-This form… is…is familiar to you… a-and… happens to… be the f-f-form… I wanted… so… so it i-i-is fortuitous."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about…" She backed up until she was against the window, but when she looked outside there was nothing but darkness. "Dream… Is this really a dream? You're not… Honoka?"

"That… T-That is correct. I-I… apologize… it is… hard t-to maintain this connection… in a dream. But… I-I… n-n… need… t-to talk to you. Y-You who… are… aware of F-Four Seasons… I… I-I need your… h… help."

"M-My help?"

"Yes. Do… D-Do… you…wish to save… H-Honoka…? She… S-She is… in danger. I… F-Four Seasons… m-must not… be caught… a-at any c-cost."

"What are you talking about? Who are you? What's going on!?" Panic was starting to set in as Umi's heart started racing. Was this a dream? Even if it was, this was turning into one hell of a nightmare.

"I… I… Y-You humans… called me… Origin…"

"Origin?" Umi shook her head, that didn't answer anything. "What is that supposed to mean to me!?"

"Ah… I a-apologize… Y-You… are now s-somewhat… familiar… w-with that… world… t-the world… of dem…on… s-slayers… a-and demons…"

"I… I'm not…" She thought back on the miniscule amount of information she knew. Demons exist and so do demon slayers. Honoka is a demon slayer who can't see demon but Hanayo can, so Honoka sees through her eyes to fight. And Honoka uses a sword style called the Four Seasons that she learned from her master. That was about everything she knew. Honoka had explained a decent bit more, but it was so much information to process, she couldn't sort it all out.

"Do… do you… w-wish… to… glimpse into… t-that world…? I… I-I need… you… W-We… must save… F-Four… H-Honoka…"

"Save Honoka? Like I said, I have no idea who you are or what you're talking about! This is just a dream, or something isn't it? I'll just wake up and you'll be gone! That's it. A dream." Umi shook herself and pinched her cheek, trying to wake herself up, but nothing happened.

"W-While this… maybe b-be… a dream… I have t-temporarily… taken control… of t-this dream…"

"Taken control? You-!"

"I… am… O-Origin… the… Sixth Demon L-Lord… I have… b-betrayed… my kin… t-to give humans… the ability t-to… to… fight… d-demons…"

"Weapons? Demon Lord? I…"

"S-Sonoda… Umi… I c-chose you… because y-you are… close to H-Honoka… and have a-already… witnessed her… blade." Honoka… or Origin, as this thing was claiming to be, lightly brushed its fingers along one of the desks. "I-I… must… r-reestablish… the link… b-between… myself and… Four Seasons… b-before… he gets to… h-her."

Umi shook her head again, still having no clue what was going on. A Demon Lord was contacting her? And asking her to help with something involving Honoka? According to Honoka, Demon Lords were the evil rulers of demons who sought nothing but to kill humans.

Well, whether this was a dream or not, she had to respond with something, so she tried following along this… thing's train of thought.

"He?"

"T-The First… Demon Lord… H-He will… destroy… h-her soul… i-if tha…t is what… it t-takes to… find… w-what he wants…"

"Why… Why does this Demon Lord want anything from Honoka?"

"H-Honoka… is special… F-Four Seasons… i-is… special. L-Long ago… I entru…sted… Four Seasons…"

"I don't think…"

"C-Come…" Honoka/Origin held out their hand, the image of her best friend fading to near translucence before coming into focus again. "I-I… don't… ha…ve m-much time i-it… would s-seem. I-I will… share with… y-you my… memories."

"Memories…?" Umi stared at the outstretched hand, a hand that was so familiar to her because it was in the image of her best friend, but so foreign at the same time. But maybe because this thing was in the image of Honoka, she found herself reaching out without thinking about it. And her world imploded before her.

* * *

Umi's eyes snapped open and she sat up, covered in sweat and shivering.

"A dream…? No…" Those memories, so many things, were still so vivid in her mind. So many foreign things now felt so familiar, as if she had experienced them herself. Origin had, in fact, shared _everything_ with her. It was unsettling, thinking that she now shared a bond with a demon, a Demon Lord no less, deeper than any people could ever share.

But now she knew what Origin really wanted, all of his intentions, all of his past, everything about the Four Seasons, Honoka, demon slayers. Umi swallowed and shook her head, looking up. Though he hadn't spoken yet, she could feel the presence of someone in the room with her, no doubt the one she had just accepted.

"Are you there, Origin?"

_**I… am h-here. N-Now… that I h-have… shared… every…thing w-with you… w-we are of… one mind. W-Will… you help… me, S-Sonoda… Umi?**_

"Yes." Umi spoke without hesitation this time. Everything was clear to her now. There was no need to think twice. As he had said, Origin and herself now thought the same. Of course, she believed somewhere in the back of her mind that it was possible these were fake but… that thought was blown away every time she shuffled through parts of the memories. There had been nothing hidden, everything laid bare for her to see. And she knew he truly wanted to save Honoka.

_**You… a-already… know what… I-I must do to… s-save her…**_

Umi nodded slowly. "You need to borrow my body, correct? Because without it, you won't last long." She took a deep breath, barely believing that she had actually gotten dragged into all of this. Even though she wanted to peek into the world Honoka was now a part of, this was diving in headfirst. She relaxed her body and found her mind open to the idea of the Demon Lord coming in. She already knew those intentions of his and she no longer felt scared. "I accept you. So… let's go. To save Honoka."

_**I… thank y-you…**_

After a moment, a wave of cold rushed over the girl which then turned into an intense burning in her chest, but she had already known that would happen and didn't even flinch. And just like that, she knew that Origin had taken residence in her body.

"**Now."** Origin spoke, the voice a mixture of his own and Umi's, and much clearer than before. **"We have no time to waste. Let us go… to the Underworld."** It was a strange feeling as he stood using her body. Umi felt like she was watching a movie or something, but still through her own eyes. But, surprisingly for her, it caused her no discomfort. She had already known and accepted what this would be like.

But she suddenly took control back of her own body, something Origin had promised her she would be able to do at any time. "Ah, w-wait!"

_**Is something the matter?**_

"I need to get dressed… Don't look."

The Demon Lord remained silent, the thousands of years old being not knowing how to reply.

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**Hope you enjoyed, sorry about the redo.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	27. Underworld II

**READ: If you didn't re-read last chapter after it was reuploaded, please do so or things won't make sense in future chapters. Thank you.**

**Enjoy.**

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**…**

Honoka was exhausted, asking to stop for the first break that… day? None of them had any idea how long they had been walking, but they had yet to encounter any demons besides that first instance. They had gone over many landscapes: actual forests, plains, hilly regions, you name it. But everywhere was unnervingly quiet, the two who could see demons seeing nothing but the occasional flying beast that was too high in the sky to take notice of them.

"Why, exactly, are we taking a break, Four Seasons?" Yoshiko asked with a sneer. "It's only been minutes since our last break. We need to keep moving or we'll never find the Seventh." She looked up at the red moon and then back down around their surroundings. They were on top of a small hill and the land in front of them looked like a barren desert that they were all dreading the idea of walking through.

"Minutes? It's been hours. What do you mean, Yoshiko-chan?"

"Eh? Hours? I'm pretty sure it's been longer than a few hours." Chika tilted her head in confusion. "Not that I'm tired or anything, but a rest is welcome. I was surprised we could go on for so long without anybody complaining."

They all silently stared at each other, then Honoka turned to her partner and confirmed all of their suspicions. To Hanayo, it had only felt like minutes as well. Even their sense of time was screwed up in the Underworld. Great.

"That's just annoying." Yoshiko sighed. "I was thinking of keeping track of just how much time has passed just in case it's passing the same as our world, but I suppose that's useless now. Tch." After all this time walking, they were all feeling a bit out of it, especially since they had encountered relative peace instead of fighting every inch of the way like they believed they would have to.

"Maybe you should check the Void again." Chika commented, examining her katana. "Maybe it has new information for us.

Yoshiko glared at her for a brief second but seemed to actually think about it. "No. The Void never changes its mind. After all, it already knows all. It wouldn't have pointed us in this direction if we wouldn't reach our goal."

"You really trust the Void don't you, Yoshiko-chan?" Honoka spoke up.

"Just as you put your trust in the Four Seasons and…" She looked towards Chika, thinking it would be awkward to call her Sun when referring to the Sun and Chika smirked. "Chika here puts her trust in the Sun."

At the mention of her actual name from the girl, Chika slid her way over to her and nudged the blushing demon slayer, only causing that red tint to darken and she started another rant about how obnoxious Chika can be, the heir to the Sun just laughing through the whole thing. Honoka tilted her head, thinking the scene seemed really peaceful despite what it was.

As they walked along, Honoka tugged on Chika's sleeve, having her fall back a bit, out of earshot of Void.

"Hm? What is it, Honoka-chan?"

"I might be wrong, Chika, but…" Honoka lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in. "Do you like Yoshiko-chan?"

"…"

"Eh? Ah, um, sorry if I'm wrong." Honoka shrugged at the blank stare the girl gave her. "It just looks like you've been trying to get really close to her since we got here. I thought it was kinda weird but if you like her, it would all make sense so…"

"That's right."

"Eh?"

Chika smiled brightly. "I like Void-chan." She turned her gaze forward, to the back of Yoshiko who just kept glancing around, making sure that the absence of demons continued. "Ever since we fought, I knew she was the one. So, we'll see where I can get. I've never really liked someone before though, so I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. But things seem to be going fine so far."

Is teasing Void and having her chew you out really 'going fine'? Honoka asked herself this but decided not to bring it up.

"I-I see. Good luck, go get her, Chika!"

"Mm. Thank you, Honoka-chan."

Chika ran back up to walk beside Void, saying something that must have annoyed the girl because she once again launched into some rant. Honoka smiled at the scene, thinking back to her two friends who were now lovers. Even after becoming demon slayers, it looked like love wasn't impossible to find. But her peaceful thoughts were interrupted by Yoshiko stopping, her eyes open wide in shock.

"Void-chan?" Chika tilted her head and waved a hand in front of the girl's face.

"Quiet." Void hissed. "The Void is calling to me. But… this image… these words… this place… Impossible. Why?" Yoshiko suddenly snapped out of it, staggering backwards. "Master… Master is here in the Underworld. With Ruby… Tch. I should have known she would come."

"Eh? The Master of Void is here?" Chika asked excitedly and everybody there knew the first thought that came to her mind was challenging her to a duel. But she let that excitement fade in the wake of confusion. "Why are you upset about that, Void-chan?"

Yoshiko stood straight and shook her head, continuing to walk, the other three lingering for a bit before following.

"Master…" Void started after a minute of silence. "Master does not have much time left. She shouldn't be using the Void anymore, but she can't help but get herself involved in this. If she just saved her strength for when she had to fight Demon Lords…"

"Not much time? But…"

Yoshiko snorted. "What? You two should… well, Sun should at least know. Void is almost always the first to die of their generation. The Masters of this generation are, generally speaking, still fairly young. But my Master will almost certainly perish before any others. It's simply the price we pay for using the Void."

"The price… You don't mean…"

"Precisely." Yoshiko stopped and turned on Honoka. "It is just like your Autumn blade, Four Seasons." Honoka looked a little shocked that she had that knowledge. "Ah, the Void told me long ago about your blade. Unlike the Four Seasons, every blade of the Void shortens my lifespan. The Void cannot come into being without that sacrifice. I'm sure even your Master told you…" There was a pause as she looked down at her katana. "You must have also been told, maybe just for your Autumn blade, to never kill humans, right?"

Of course she had, but that's because the original purpose of the blade was to kill people, right? Honoka just nodded.

"That is because both Void and Autumn were made to sustain the Sixth Demon Lord."

"Eh? The Sixth… But he betrayed the other Demon Lords to give us the blades, right?"

"Truly. But my Master told me. Sixth was infatuated with humans, coming to the human world simply to be among them. But even a Demon Lord cannot sustain themselves in the human world without killing humans. While Sixth may have not been a murderer, he did kill in all the senseless battles humans had. Perhaps it was his way of justifying his killing." Yoshiko shrugged as if didn't matter either way. "It doesn't matter much. Sixth died a long time ago. Turns out giving humans the ability to kill demons didn't sit well with First and Second."

_That means…_

"But sustain… that means Void and Autumn…"

"Mm. They steal the very essence of life from humans. That's why your master forbid you to use it on humans. And that's why…" Void shook her head before glancing back at Chika who hardly seemed to be paying attention to the conversation itself but wore a knowing smile. "I fought you with all that was possible, Sun, but admittedly, I was hesitant to strike you. A human should never taste the life essence of another human."

_The life essence of another human… it feels like it all makes sense now. But the Sixth Demon Lord was that desperate to stay in our world? And why would he even pass on these blades if they were made for that? Unless other styles also do the same._ Honoka looked up at Chika who shook her head as if reading the girl's mind. _This still doesn't make very much sense._

"Well, now that everybody seems to know everything, we should be good, right?" Chika said with a laugh to which Yoshiko turned on her with a glare once again.

"Well, you always seem to be in the know, Sun." Another laugh from Sun. "So why don't you start talking? Your confidence when anything is discussed always seems to be able to piss me off to say the least."

Chika thought for a second and Honoka was sure she would try to change the subject before running off. Honoka had to admit, she was curious as well. Chika didn't seem surprised at any of this, or well, not as surprised as she should be at least. She just kept wearing that calm smile the whole time.

"Hm. Well, as the mother of all life, it's Sun's job to know everything about its children, right? Haha!" Though she seemed genuinely entertained by her own antics, the other three just stared at her blankly, none wanting to respond to that. Chika finally calmed down and turned to them all, first with a strangely serious expression before shifting back to her calm, knowing smile. "Sun has had many secrets passed down. After all, Sun worked side-by-side with the Sixth Demon Lord all those years ago."

"That…" Yoshiko started to speak but stopped suddenly, gripping the katana at her side tighter. "This is…"

Nobody had noticed somehow, but the area around them had changed drastically. A… village it looked like, surrounded them. But they had stopped before getting into any area like this. The buildings were in shambles and the place in general was a mess, discarded objects lying all over the ground. With two pairs of closed eyes and an, "I offer my heart," from Hanayo, Honoka and Chika were looking around through her eyes, waiting for something.

And, unlike the hours, or however long they had been walking, something did come forward. But it…

"What… are those?" Honoka tilted her head as humanoid black shadows began slowly walking out of the houses, black swords in hand, looking uncannily like Demonbrands. "Are these… demons?"

"No." Yoshiko shook her head. "Products of demon magic, though. Somebody is definitely messing with us, a Demon Lord most likely or a servant of one at least. For shadows, these things feel strong. However, they will be no problem."

"That's right, Void-chan!" Chika laughed and dashed forward to strike at one of the shadows. The shadow blocked her strike with its katana, but Chika's sword easily snapped the sword without losing any force and sliced the thing in half, the shadow slowly fading. "Ahaha! These things are so weak! I would be embarrassed to use blades on something like this!"

Chika changed her mind immediately when an incredibly fast strike came from one of the shadows, nearly striking her square in the chest if Void hadn't stepped forward and deflected the hit. But she just laughed it off and took a step forward.

"Well, if they want to see my blades that badly, then who am I to deny them? Haha! Sun style, 5th blade." Several of the shadows were destroyed in a second along with a couple of buildings and anything else that happened to be in the way. "Solar flare." "We don't have time for messing around, Sun." Yoshiko stepped up next to her and sighed. "Void style, 6th blade." In a flash of her Demonbrand, every shadow simultaneously dispersed. "Angel's descent. Hmph."

Just as Chika began laughing and went to slap her comrade on the back, the shadows appeared again, but in a less stable form. All of the shadows melded together, forming the outline of a person holding a katana once again. Something about it… looked familiar to the four but none of them could put their fingers on exactly what the black mass reminded them of.

But that question was answered as it dashed in towards Chika. Chika's eyes widened as she recognized the move being used. "Tch." Her own Supernova, the shadowy katana slamming into her sword so hard it pushed her back over a meter. The three others looked to make sure she was fine, Yoshiko moving her hand to her own Demonbrand. "Don't touch it, Void." The coldness in Chika's voice surprised them all as she looked up with nothing but pure anger in her eyes. "You dare to insult the Sun in front of me with that pathetic show? I'll destroy you such that even the one who made you can feel it. Sun style, 1st blade." In a second, Chika stood in front of her enemy, the shadow moving to block her move. "Sol Invictus." But that strike, that single strike blew it away. No, it blew _everything_ away. In an instant, the land in front of them was wiped away, the single slash carving a deep line in the ground that shot far in front of them. Rocks, dirt, the rest of the village that was still in front of them. Everything vanished in the wake of that blade.

Chika swung her sword out once before sheathing it and turning to her friends. A sigh later and the cold look was replaced with a smile once again as she moved over to them. "Ahaha, sorry about that. Seeing that really pissed me off for some reason." She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly, not sure if she should be bragging about showing her blade or embarrassed because she struck out like that.

All three girls stood shocked for a few seconds before Yoshiko finally cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Hmph. I'm disappointed you didn't use that blade in our duel. I would have liked to challenge it."

Chika laughed at that, a hearty laugh like her usual ones instead of the awkward one she had just given. "Maybe next time, Void-chan."

Their attention was drawn back to the spot where Chika had obliterated the shadow, the residue from the shadow appearing once again and swirling, but not taking any recognizable form. The three demon slayers had their hands on hilts, ready to strike out, but the darkness shot up and started jerking in random directions before finally going up and around and then down towards Hanayo. Honoka moved to block, but she was a second too late.

But it didn't matter. Hanayo screamed and the shadows hit something that the other three couldn't see, just inches from Hanayo's face. The shadows began contorting once again. "G-Go away!" Honoka could swear she saw Hanayo's eyes glowing a bright red for a second as she yelled. The shadow reeled back, jerked in various directions before suddenly fading from existence.

"Hanayo-chan…" As soon as the words left her mouth, her partner fell to her knees, hands going under her glasses to cover her eyes. "Hanayo-chan!" Honoka ran up to her and could hear her mumbling.

"It hurts… It hurts, Honoka-chan."

"Ahaha! I knew it! The final piece of the puzzle settles!" Chika was laughing hysterically before being stopped by a glare from Honoka. Her friend in pain was noting for the girl to laugh at. "Sorry, sorry, Honoka-chan, Hanayo-chan."

"So, you finally feel like speaking, Sun?" Yoshiko threw her a curious glance.

"Well, about this anyways. I've known something has been up for a while. When I borrowed Hanayo-chan's eyes, I knew something was… different." Chika sent Yoshiko one of her knowing smirks that pissed Void off just as much as they always did. "Hey, Void-chan, you killed the Fourth Demon Lord with your master, right?"

"What of it?"

"He was weak, right? Like really weak?"

"Disappointingly so."

"And? Did you notice anything weird about him? Like… his eyes?" The knowing smirk only grew larger as she saw Yoshiko seriously digging into her memory.

"He didn't have eyes, just like… all…" Realization dawned on the girl and she turned her shocked eyes from Sun to the girl on her knees. "You don't mean…"

"Mm. I had a feeling, but that confirms it. I'm not sure why he did it though…"

Honoka, who had been distracted trying to comfort Hanayo, finally looked up in confusion. "What are you two talking about? This isn't the time for…"

"Haha, but this is very important, Honoka-chan." Sun turned so she was facing all three of them and held up a hand. "That's right. What Void has just said finally proves my theory. The one who killed Hanayo-chan, the one who gave her eyes far beyond that of any ordinary partner… was the Fourth Demon Lord himself."

Yoshiko looked slightly less surprised as she had just surmised that was the answer, while Honoka looked on in utter shock. Hanayo finally looked up, her irises still glowing a slight red. Chika walked over to kneel next to the girl and stared into her eyes, feeling as if she would get absorbed into them if she looked for too long and, for all she knew, she might.

"Well, at least they're not damaged." A voice surprised all of them, mostly because all of them had failed to detect the presence approaching them. A… boy? Girl? Honestly, none of them could tell, but they all mentally came to the consensus that it was a boy. A boy with long black hair walked towards them, a yellow raincoat and sunglasses on, an odd choice of fashion.

"This aura…" Honoka shuddered a bit. "He's powerful…"

"Very much so, it would seem." Yoshiko said, letting her hand fall to her katana.

"Ahaha! Thank you, thank you. That means a lot coming from Four Seasons and Void. To have two great demon slayers compliment me. Ah, my day seems to be getting better already." He turned his red eyes upon them. Honoka couldn't tell if the eyes were actually glowing or if it was just a trick of the light, but they definitely resembled her partner's at that moment.

"Eh? A demon…?" Honoka slowly stood, motioning for Hanayo to stay where she was. "But we can see it…"

"A barrier." Chika spoke up, glancing around. "Hanayo-chan might be doing it unconsciously, but she's definitely put up some kind of barrier, apparently one that lets us see demons. Maybe a side effect of those eyes of hers." Chika smirked after saying the last part. "I really do want to get a closer look at those eyes after all…"

"Chika…" Sun just laughed at Honoka's glare.

"You seem like a fun bunch. No wonder my Lord is interested in you." The demon shoved his hands into the pockets of the raincoat. "Second has been messing with you, but my Lord is growing impatient with these ridiculous illusions. He was disappointed you guys weren't breaking out of it."

"Illusion…?" Yoshiko glanced around. "So, this feeling really is…"

"Ahaha, did you confuse the illusion for the normal dense mana of the Underworld? Well, that's to be expected. When you live in such a mana-poor environment like your world, it's only natural. Second has had you walking in circles for hours. It's hilarious!" He burst into laughter again. "If this is the best this generation of demon slayers has to offer, we might well destroy them."

"Wait. Your Lord?"

"Hm? That's right. Ah, I haven't introduced myself yet, right? How rude of me." The boy gave a deep bow, something that felt strange given his attire. "I am Kane, vassal of the First Demon Lord." A flash of light and a katana appeared by his side in a dark red sheath. "And I've been sent here to retrieve Four Seasons and the Witness."

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**Tune in next time for some more fun in the Underworld!**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	28. Underworld III - Vassal of the First I

**READ: Last reminder, just in case people didn't see it last chapter. If you didn't read the reuploaded version of Sonoda Umi IV, please do.**

**Well, this one is relatively short, but a lot of stuff is talked about, so I hope you enjoy.**

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**…**

A pause ensued, all eyes remaining on the Vassal of the First Demon Lord who stood there, katana at his side, calm and composed, seemingly not afraid of being in the presence of three strong demon slayers. In fact, if anything, he seemed a bit excited about it, eager to fight them. But instead of Kane attacking to break the silence, it was Chika with a fit of laughter, drawing even the Vassal's curious eyes her way. She was holding her stomach and bending over, unable to stop whatever was so hilarious to her. Yoshiko thought about hitting her before the girl finally stood straight, wiping tears away.

"W-Witness? Ahaha! That's rich, that's so rich. You're really something, ehh, Kane-chan, was it? Ah, a servant of the First Demon Lord comes to greet us personally? And all because First can't wait any longer? What a joke. I thought pretty highly of First, but I guess he's just like the rest of you demons." The jovial tone left her voice as she turned her blank stare on the boy. "Nothing more than insects."

"Insulting my Lord in front of me? That's not very nice, heir to the Sun. I guess if you would like to play first, I don't mind starting with you. But you're not really what I'm here for." A hand fell to the hilt and Chika's smile returned, her plan apparently having been a success.

She turned slowly to glance back at the other three. "Void-chan. You can move people through the Void, correct? It doesn't have to be super long distance, but it's possible, right?"

"Tch, another thing you know about that you shouldn't. It's quite exhausting, but I can. What of it? You expect me to run away? I can take care of this…" She trailed off when Chika's look returned to serious, almost angry even.

"You're leaving. And you're taking Honoka-chan and Hanayo-chan with you. Get them as far from here as possible." Honoka started to speak up, but Chika silenced her. "No. I won't hear anything against it. They're after you two. Right now, it's my duty as Sun to make sure they don't get their hands on you two. This isn't up for debate. Leave, Void."

They all looked at the girl with distress, but the smile returned to her face.

"Tch. Fine. You never cease to annoy me, Sun." Yoshiko brought her katana to bear and held it in front of her. "It will take some time though."

"That's fine. I'll protect all of you. Don't fight, Honoka-chan. You need to be ready to leave as soon as Void-chan is ready." She glanced down at Hanayo. "And make sure to protect Hanayo-chan with your life. She's just as important to them as you are." Chika turned back to face the boy. "Well, sorry about that. It looks like it'll just be the two of us, after all." She could hear Yoshiko chanting something behind her and knew she just had to hold off for a minute at most.

But Kane wasn't having that. The demon vanished in an instant, coming out behind Chika, his sword aimed for the chanting girl. But before long before that blade reached, he found himself flung backwards with enough force to destroy a building. With a quick shift in the air, he was able to land on his feet, but looked down to his stomach which was bleeding profusely from a massive gash across it. The wound slowly closed, and he looked up to see the blank-faced Chika holding her Demonbrand at the ready.

"Your Demonbrand is… so ugly. Sun style, 7th blade." Honoka watched in awe as Kane managed to deflect the hit, the blade still obliterating the ground around the demon. "Sunburst." The ginger thought back to their duel and knew she was correct in thinking that Chika had held back to the extreme. This girl was on a whole different level. After that first blade, it was as if the air around the place had changed. "Ah, right. This space is currently under control of the Second Demon Lord, isn't it? It must be some kind of barrier-like magic, like Hanayo-chan and Riko-chan use. Hmph. Sun style, 1st blade." Chika struck the air above her. "Sol Invictus." Everybody heard it, the sound of glass shattering, but could see nothing. Except for Hanayo who looked up in wonder, a myriad of colours falling down around them from the destroyed barrier.

"Destroying a barrier made by Second in just one hit? You really are something, Sun. I'm glad I get to kill you here. Rain style, 3rd blade." "Sun style, 9th blade." Honoka couldn't tell quite what happened, but she knew the attack was aimed, once again, at Yoshiko and not at Chika. A blade so fast she could barely register it. "Virga." But as it got even remotely close to Yoshiko, which meant getting remotely close to Chika, it was deflected in an instant. "Superflare."

"Rain style, huh? I figured since you're using a Demonbrand, you would pull out a style. Haha, the Master of Rain would be disappointed."

"Hm? If anything, I believe I qualify as a Master of Rain, Sun. After all, I've been using this blade for far longer than any living human."

A flash of steel with no words spoken and Kane's left arm flew off. Chika hadn't even used a blade and all around stared with shock, including the demon. "Quiet, insect. I'm tired of hearing that annoying voice. Return to crawling on the ground where you belong." Another flash of steel, but this time the attack was blocked. "I see, I see." Kane let out a sigh as the arm grew back in only seconds. "I was thinking I wouldn't have to go all out here, but it would seem I was wrong. Well, it's your fault for inheriting the Sun that you have to die here."

"Sun style, 7th blade, Sunburst." Another strike from her katana deflected, shattering the ground around the boy. And Chika charged in. "Sun style, 8th blade." "Rain style, 5th blade." Kane jumped back and up, bringing his katana against his hip. "Microburst." Chika changed her grip on her sword as soon as the boy jumped into the air. "Sun style, 9th blade." She could feel the attacks coming at her, dozens of strikes from such a far distance. "Superflare." But it was useless against Sun who deflected every strike.

"I guess I'll entertain you, Kane-chan. Sun style, 1st blade." Just as Kane landed, Chika was already in front of him, the demon not quite sure when she had even moved. "Sol Invictus." He barely managed to bring his katana up to prevent the blow from literally destroying his entire body, but he was sent flying. Or, what was left of him was sent flying. His body wasn't completely destroyed, but it was blown to pieces from the force of the blade, along with the ground around them. "Come on, regenerate already. I know you can." Sure enough, the body parts quickly shifted around on the ground, building the boy back up as if nothing had happened.

"Chika… is so strong…" Honoka mumbled. "She can easily handle this by herself."

"No…" She looked back at her partner with surprise. Hanayo's glowing red eyes were fixated on the fight. "He's… just messing with her. I-I can see it… His power…"

Honoka turned back to the fight, now with a nervous expression. If Chika lost, then their hope would be gone for getting Hanayo out of there. Well, maybe Void could take him on, but there was no way she could, she figured, even with the Autumn blade. If he was holding back and still fighting squarely with Chika, then she didn't want to know what he would be like when he got serious.

"Rain style, 2nd blade." This time, Honoka felt it as well. There was no way Sun could block this on her own, the blade would easily reach all around her. "Four seasons, winter style, 2nd blade." "Sun style, 9th blade." "Blizzard." "Superflare." Chika managed to deflect all the strikes aimed at her and, somehow, the ones aimed for Yoshiko as well, who didn't even hesitate in her chanting. Honoka, with some struggle, stopped her and Hanayo from getting cut up, but looking at the deep marks in the ground all around them set her on edge. "Hurricane. Tch, that's no fun."

As Honoka watched the two run at each other, blades clashing, sparks flying from the steel, she wanted nothing more than to get up and fight but she kept looking back to her partner who was still clearly in pain. Leaving her alone to go fight just didn't feel right. It would be too risky. Especially since she knew Chika would just tell her to get back. But she wanted to fight beside Sun again, this time with neither of them holding back.

She glanced at Yoshiko who was sweating buckets. Clearly whatever she was doing was putting an immense strain on her body, but she was pushing through it, a darkness gathering around that sword of hers, slowly but surely. Would Chika be able to protect them this whole time though? If Kane really was holding back like Hanayo said, would he get tired of fighting her and unleash his true strength on them. Honoka had no idea if she could protect her partner against that. Maybe Yoshiko would fight too, but even then…

The intensity of the fight was making her antsy. Ground exploded every time their blades clashed. Chika wore a look that Honoka had never seen before, something between anger and worry. Maybe it was because of her newfound love for Void but… No. Honoka already knew that wasn't true. Just from being around Sun as much as she had she could already tell that Chika was the type of girl who would give up her life for her friends in an instant. It's not that it was a small decision for her, but she seemed like the kind of girl who held her friends high. Honoka was thankful Riko wasn't there at least, that she was safe somewhere back in their world.

Just as thoughts of joining the battle resurfaced, Void slashes the empty air in front of her, leving a mass of absolute darkness in front of her. She was panting heavily, sweating pouring down her facing, but she turned to Honoka and Hanayo and nodded. "Go. I took some extra time… to make sure it goes far enough. Let's get you two through."

"But... what about you, Yoshiko-chan?"

"As annoying as she is, I won't leave Sun behind. Don't worry, I won't close the Void fully. After we defeat this Kane guy, we'll catch up to you."

Honoka was hesitant, but nodded, just wanting to get Hanayo as far away from this guy as possible. She helped her partner up and they both took a step into the Void, a cold chill immediately travelling up their legs, but Yoshiko just nodded, and they continued through, vanishing from sight. Before Yoshiko could close it and turn, she heard a yell. "Get in there, Void! Now!"

"Stop trying to take this on yourself. I will—."

"No!" The tone and volume of her voice made the other demon slayer hesitate. There was anger and desperation mixed in. "Get in there! I'll handle this! It's my duty as Sun!" Chika deflected a hit from the boy and kicked him back, but he made no move to attack again, seemingly amused by the exchange. In an instant, Chika was in front of her friend. "Leave, Void. Now."

"Sun, you—!" Yoshiko tried to argue, but froze solid as Chika leaned into her, soft lips pressing against her own. Her mind stopped processing the situation, stopped processing everything. Surely a fuse was blown from that kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, Chika pulling away with a slight blush on her cheeks, but that confident smile back on her face.

"That's just the encouragement I needed. Once we're back in our world, I plan on dragging you everywhere, Void-chan. We'll go to the movies, a café, a fancy restaurant that we can barely afford. We'll hang out with everybody else, but I'll take your weekends when we're not working. We'll do stupid stuff like hold hands while blushing like idiots, watch fireworks together, go to festivals while in yukata and browse the stalls, sing at karaoke together even if we're bad at it." Chika realized she was just listing the things she wanted to do and wished she still could do. Tears threatened to fill her eyes, but she held them back. "So… Go, Yoshiko-chan. As long as you're there, I'll come to you."

Before Yoshiko could respond, she was shoved into the darkness behind her which quickly closed. A long sigh escaped Chika's mouth, her heart racing. Well, that wasn't exactly the way she was planning on confessing, but not everything can work out how you plan it. She turned around to face the boy who had patiently waited out their exchange.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kane-chan. Where were we?"

"Haha! That was some exchange, Sun. What were you thinking?"

"Why did you let them escape?" Chika asked suddenly, ignoring the question. "Even if you couldn't hit me, I'm willing to bet you could have slipped past my defenses to hit them and yet you didn't. Your half-assed attempts don't count."

"Hm? Well, of course that's because I wanted them to escape. Gathering the two is the secondary part of my mission, after all. My Lord gave me explicit directions."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"'Extinguish the light of the Sun.'" Chika narrowed her eyes. "I was holding back to not kill those two, but now that they're gone, I can finally fight freely."

"That's funny, I was thinking the exact same thing."

Both brought their katana to their hips, a smile creeping up on both faces.

"Show me your all, Sun!"

"I would have it no other way, Kane-chan!"

* * *

**Once again, sorry for the short chapter. I was afraid if I kept writing the way I wanted to, it would make it too long so I'm just splitting them.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	29. Visions of the Void I - Kousaka Honoka

**Okay, woah. Feels like it's been a solid minute since I've updated this, weird.**

**READ: A fair warning, this chapter is an information dump, courtesy of... you'll see. Sorry if you don't like that kind of thing, but it was meant to happen this way. And, if you couldn't tell, the real thing to this story is just "everybody knows more than they let on." Or something to that effect.**

**Anyways, enjoy.**

* * *

**…**

As soon as she fully stepped into that darkness, everything felt different. A pressure on her chest made it hard to breath, the darkness felt all-engulfing. No matter where she looked, there was nobody. Not Hanayo, not Yoshiko, nobody. She screamed for them, but no sound came out. Yoshiko had said they would travel through the void, but how was she supposed to know where to go? The void definitely lived up to its name as there was literally nothing. She couldn't even see the ground she walked upon.

A sudden terrible dread filled Honoka's entire being, tears welling up in her eyes. She needed to get out of there. Now. That wasn't a place she should be, she knew that. Something inside of her was telling her that. This was Yoshiko's domain, the void itself, the absolute nothing. No other heir or master belonged there.

Honoka's breathing became labored as it became harder to breathe, the pressure on her chest too intense. Tears flowed down her cheeks, but she didn't know why. Panic, probably. Panic was definitely setting in.

"**Oh, oh. Was I to be expecting a guest? Ah, yes. I remember. I saw you, Four Seasons. I saw you long ago, long before you were born, in here, speaking with me. Yes. Yes, I did know.**" A raspy voice reached out from the darkness, but it seemed to come from everywhere at once. Honoka looked around but saw nothing. She tried to speak out, but nothing would come out. "**Who? Who, indeed. You are already aware, very aware, of where you have stepped foot into. I can see that clearly. I can feel your mind, your thoughts, your knowledge.**"

_My thoughts? You're…_

"**Yes, yes. Let us not spend too long on these formalities for I am already familiar with you, Kousaka Honoka, heir to the Four Seasons. I know all. I am the Void, that which has existed from the beginning and will exist when all else ends. You who stepped foot into the Void… Truly you would make a great treat.**" That sent a shiver down the girl's spine.

_A treat? What the hell are you talking about? I only came in here because your... inheritor had to save us. Otherwise I would never step foot in here. Did I offend you or something?_

"**Offend? Offend… A foolish question from a foolish girl. For the first time in many years, someone who does not possess the Void enters the Void. And it is a foolish girl who knows not of the world. I can see it… your lack of knowledge, your ignorance, your innocence.**" A deep laugh, far too deep for the voice that spoke, echoed in the nothingness.

_What the fuck are you going on about? Stop screwing with me, Void. Did you plan on killing me when I came here?_ Honoka tried to summon her Demonbrand but nothing appeared at her side, only adding to her nerves.

"**Do not even try, Four Seasons. I am the Void, the all-powerful, the all-knowing Void. You who reside here, even if temporarily, will heed my rules.**" A long pause ensued, the nothingness fading back to silence. Honoka's thoughts remained silent. She was nervous to even think in front of this… thing. "**I will not kill you, Four Seasons. Fear not. Though the death of a foolish girl such as yourself would bring me nothing but pleasure, I will not.**"

_Well, thanks? What do you want from me then? Why did you call out to me?_

"… **You are there, are you not?**"

_What?_

"**Silence, Four Seasons, I am not speaking to you. Answer me.**" There was a pause, the Void apparently waiting for some answer that Honoka never heard. "**Ahaha. You say some interesting things. How you could choose such a foolish heir is beyond me.**"

_Who…?_ Honoka started but was cut off.

"**Ahaha!**" A billowing deep laugh that hurt her ears echoed all around her. "**Very well. After all this time, I was sure you had forgotten about that. But, well, even if your heir may be foolish, I have taken a liking to her. For being friends with my inheritor, I will agree to this.** **And we can call our debt settled.**"

_Debt? I…_

"**Now, you will go forth, Four Seasons. And speak with her. For I will not reveal the truth to you who are not worthy to obtain the Void. But I shall grant you this favour, to settle our debt from the long gone past. Come, deep in the Void…**"

Honoka could feel her consciousness wavering, the voice trailing off slowly. She could hear that deep laughter again, but she was already far gone by that time.

* * *

Honoka's eyes snapped open to see an unfamiliar ceiling above her, strange decorations that looked like failed arts and crafts projects hung from it. She slowly sat up, taking a look around her. A table was to her left, a small one, with a cup of tea on it. In front of her was a set of closed double doors. She glanced behind her to see that the doors were open on that side, leading outside. She stood slowly and took a step onto the small wooden walkway.

A small wall surrounded the… house, she supposed, that she was in. It kind of reminded her of Ryoma's place when she saw him. Just like back then, red and yellow leaves covered the ground. The yard was large, but she could see the wall turning not too far away and she debated whether she wanted to go exploring to find out exactly where she was. But that proved unnecessary.

"You're welcome to look around if you would like." A soft voice reached her ears, but it was so sudden that she snapped back towards the room she had just come out of. A girl with dark hair pulled into a long ponytail sat on the opposite side of the table from where she had woken up, sipping from a cup of tea. "Come, Honoka-chan." The girl motioned to the other side of the table.

As Honoka moved to sit there, she remembered her encounter with the Void, and she looked around nervously.

"Is this… the Void still?"

"Mm. That's right." Honoka looked the girl up and down. She wore a traditional shrine maiden uniform which made the girl curious. Clearly it was showing on her face because the girl spoke up. "Ah, this? It's just what I like to appear in. Pay it no heed. I'm certainly not a shrine maiden, haha." For some reason, the girl's voice put her at ease, but she still had loads of questions.

"So, you know me, but you're… why are you in the Void?"

"In the Void? Haha. Ah, I should have introduced myself first. My name is long gone, a thing of the distant past. Though this body takes the appearance of a former Master of the Void, Matsuura Kanan. So, if you would like to refer to me as Kanan, you may. She didn't really mind when I asked her to appear like this. She's quite pretty, is she not?"

Honoka just nodded slowly. "So… Kanan-san… That still didn't really tell me who you are."

"I am the Void." She said without hesitation and just laughed when Honoka gave her a skeptical and confused look. "I tell the truth, Four Seasons. Though my name is long gone, I was the first Master of the Void, long before the concept of 'masters' and 'heirs' really even existed. The Void approached me, and I embraced it."

"B-But if you were the master, then why are you here? Why are you still alive in the Void?"

"Haha, 'alive' is a strong word. I am no longer the person I was, long ago. Nor am I Matsuura Kanan. I am simply the Void. After my death, the Void extended an offer. It was either experience whatever afterlife awaited me or become one with the Void. It was an easy decision, honestly. Now I am the Void. And the Void is me. We're are of one mind and being."

"Ah, I still don't get it." Honoka put both hands to her head to soothe her forming headache. This was way too much information to take in and the more this girl said, the more confused she got. "So… you're the first Master of the Void… who merged with the Void somehow? I uh… I'm not sure I'm keeping up on this…"

"Well, I didn't really expect you to just accept everything. However, I assure you that I am indeed the Void. Please, just think of me as the more… hm… open personality? How to explain this? The Void and I are of one mind. What I desire, the Void desires. What the Void desires, I desire. Is that better?"

_No._

"Yeah, I guess. L-Let's just move on. Why am I here? I know I was in the Void, but I should have been walking with Yoshiko-chan and Hanayo-chan. Why am I… well… wait, this is still the Void, right? I'm so confused." Honoka let herself fall back and stared at the ceiling. "I guess what I'm trying to ask is, well, yeah… why am I here? What does the Void want with me?"

Kanan stood and walked over to the open doors, staring out at the courtyard and turned a gentle smile towards the ginger. "How does it feel?" Honoka just tilted her head at the question. "Ah, sorry. We did our best to replicate the true season of autumn here. Perhaps because it rests inside us, it may not feel the same. Come, please." She gestured for Honoka to walk over and the girl hesitantly stood and made her way over. Sure enough, just like before, the ground was still covered in those leaves, a gentle breeze rustling them.

Honoka walked past her, standing on the leaves, and took a deep breath. It really did feel just like autumn did on the surface. A smile made its way to her face and she unconsciously summoned her Demonbrand to her side. Unlike before, it came with no trouble this time. She drew it and held it up, letting the sunlight… or whatever light it really was, glint off the blade. But she snapped back to reality, turning to face the girl who seemed content just watching her.

"I uh, yeah. I guess it does feel like autumn here. But what does that have…" She thought back to Yoshiko telling her that she already knew of her autumn blade, that both of their blades were similar in that regard. Honoka narrowed her eyes, hoping this wasn't going to go where she thought it was. "What do you want, Void?"

"My, why do you seem so suspicious of me, Honoka?"

"Well, Void… you sent me here without telling me anything. I don't get it. Am I here for you to test me?"

"Perhaps." A small giggle escaped the girl and she shook her head. "You know, the Void is all-knowing. Or well, it's more like I have access to all knowledge. I need not look for what I don't wish to know. But I can trace anything all the way back and all the way forward. But there was something… interesting we found. Something… unsettling. And let me tell you, for us who can know all, that is something strange indeed."

Honoka felt her mouth drying up. A terrible feeling was gnawing at her, much more so than just a "gut feeling." It was almost as if someone was whispering to her, but she couldn't hear it. And every time she looked over her shoulder to see who was there, she found the space startingly empty. She felt cold spreading through her body from her chest and ending at her fingertips, her grip on the sword unconsciously tightening.

"That's right. You, Kousaka Honoka, heir to the Four Seasons, are the singularity, the hole in our vision, the _incorrect_ element." A short silence ensued as Kanan let her process that before giggling again and continuing. "Perhaps it was our mistake in not looking into it sooner, but we chose not to follow the path of every master to see where it ends up. But… Not so long ago, we did grant a favour, a favour to someone you know, Honoka."

"Master…?" She ventured, but Void was already shaking her head. Then a thought popped into her head. Someone had spoken to her from the past, someone who knew how much progress she had made on her blades, something that he shouldn't have known, that he would have no way of knowing. "Ryoma-san!?"

A laugh from Void confirmed her thoughts. "The previous Master of the Four Seasons, yes. He was the first one who did not already possess the Void that I allowed to peek into the future. And could you guess what he wanted? He could have asked to see anything. But all he wanted… Haha. 'I wish to see my heir's successor.'" Kanan shook her head. "That was his sole wish."

"I… I don't get it. Ryoma-san didn't tell me anything…" She thought back to their exchange. The only thing he really told her was to not hold back with her autumn blade. But Ryoma-san knew the truth about it. "Why…?"

"Of course not. Because he learned naught that you don't know." Void took a step forward and rustled some of the leaves with one foot, a distant look on her face. "While it is true that we knew you would come to the Void… that is the end. We cannot glimpse past that. But why? Why can't we? It's as if Kousaka Honoka does not exist. What happened? Were the cards put in our hands? Are we to decide where you go from now on? Pointless. That's absolutely pointless. I am not one of the Four Seasons, I will not dictate your life.

But to not know something… is this feeling fear or excitement? For we have lived knowing that we can find anything we wish with little effort. And now we have a singularity standing right in front of us." Void stepped forward reaching out a hand to lightly cup Honoka's chin. It took everything Honoka had not to pull away from those cold fingers. "Just what is it…? Just what are you unknowingly hiding, Honoka? Show me. Uncover yourself and let me peer into your soul. Even surfing through what thoughts of yours I can, I see nothing, nothing that explains what you are, what you want, _who_ you are."

Honoka finally tugged away, taking a step back.

"I have no idea what you're talking about! I'm Kousaka Honoka, heir to the Four Seasons. That's it! Nothing more, nothing less. I… Whether there's something strange about me or not, that's who I am. And I won't let anybody, not even the Void, tell me otherwise."

Though Honoka spoke big, her face changed from determined to fearful as she felt a cold hand gripping her throat. Void had appeared in front of her in an instant, hand around her throat, lifting her into the air, a blank stare watching her. Honoka tried to draw her katana, but it was swatted away with Void's free hand. She struggled to breath against that grip and struggled to get any words out.

"You… don't… kn…ow… any…thing… Void…" The grip tightened slightly and the minimal amount of air Honoka could get was lessening, but she still forced words out. "About… me… or the… Four… Sea…sons…"

"Mm. That's true." Kanan nodded as if that was only a natural observation to make. "And that's what angers us so much. Why don't we? Why do I feel my knowledge is lacking even on the Four Seasons? We're doing this for you, Autumn. You wanted this. You wanted her to meet the Void. But what do you want? What do you want us to tell your dear heir?" Void finally released her grip, dropping the ginger who hit the ground with a thud and gasped for air. "I'm growing tired of it. Tired of not knowing, tired of waiting." Blades suddenly stuck out of the ground, all coming dangerously close to the ginger's neck before stopping. "If I control the future, I can just end her life here. It would be over. I could rest easy in my absolute knowledge."

A silence ensued, Void just staring at the ginger, waiting. But just like before Honoka knew she wasn't looking for an answer from her, so she remained silent. But she heard that voice speaking in the back of her head again, whispering something to her. She struggled but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make it out.

"You're right. You're absolutely right. I won't. Not that your life ending would be of any consequence to me. But… Just as I said before, I am grateful that you have befriended my inheritor." A slight pause, a look on Void's face that Honoka couldn't quite decipher. "Perhaps this could all have been avoided if Fourth kept to himself, kept to the other Demon Lords like a worthless demon is meant to. Ah, but how the world would differ." The blades slowly vanished into small black tendrils that faded as if they had never been there.

"Fourth…" What Void told her before they left came flooding back into her mind. "Fourth is the one who killed Hanayo-chan, isn't he? Why? Why did he give her his eyes? Is he siding with demon slayers over the other Demon Lords?"

Void gave her a look as if she had forgotten Honoka was even there. "The one who killed the Witness… Yes. That is true. But also, the one who killed you, Four Seasons. Haha. Ahaha! That's right. You were ignorant, ignorant of everything… Ignorant of your role in all of this. But so am I, am I not? Yes. The only one, the one I truly want to see, the only living being who still knows… Why could your master have not come in your stead? I would love to touch her thoughts."

Honoka finally pushed herself up, summoning her katana back to her side just in case though after their last exchange she figured it would be useless. Void spared a glance at the sword then her eyes travelled up to meet the blue orbs of the ginger, staring blankly into them. Honoka held her ground, staring right back, the mention of her master agitating her. If Void wanted to do something to Seira, she would have to go through her first.

"Calm yourself, Four Seasons. This is my domain. My power is absolute here. The Four Seasons may have been treated as my equal in the past, but that time is long gone. The time of Sixth has passed. And yet… he still comes." She mumbled the last part so low that Honoka couldn't quite catch it. "Yes. We'll see soon." A pause and another flash of an unknown emotion on her face. "Oh? You're feeling pretty confident after all these years. Would you risk your heir's life to prove something? … Foolish. That's exactly what it would be. I have no need for proof." Kanan turned a glare on the ginger.

Honoka stared back, but her concentration was elsewhere. She wanted to focus so badly on that voice nagging at her. The words were becoming louder, more than just whispers. Slowly she felt like they were reaching her, pushing her… pushing her to do what, though?

"Let's get this over with. I'll tell you what she wants you to know, what your master refused to tell you, what she ended up finding out, what she knew already, what I was aware of. You and the Witness, Koizumi Hanayo, were not made demon slayers by mistake. No, far from it. The Fourth Demon Lord chose you two for a reason I, to my unending frustration, have no figured out. The eyes, the eyes that make the Witness, he granted to your partner. Sun said something to that effect, correct? But that aside, that is not important. No, you need to worry about yourself. Why? Why did the Fourth Demon Lord choose you? You who are now so much more similar to your master than you could wish.

"The previous Master of the Four Seasons, Sakurai Ryoma, the one who freed your line from their duty, who betrayed the Demon Lords. Mm. Yes. The one who fought off First and Second alongside his master. A noble goal. To free his future heirs." Kanan nodded to herself as if recounting the story again in her head to confirm it. "The Four Seasons long ago betrayed Sixth to work alongside the Demon Lords."

"Eh? Wait, I, that was lot… Freed us? From what? And Four Seasons worked with the Demon Lords? I don't get it. There's no way demon slayers would side with them."

"Oh, but they did. 'Why' is not of consequence to you and it is not my duty to tell you. The Four Seasons served the Demon Lords for a long time, longer than most remember, secretly of course. But then, the master of Sakurai Ryoma, who saw potential in his heir, rebelled. Though he died in the process, he succeeded, freeing the Four Seasons from their binds.

"You see, even that man, Sakurai Ryoma, was chosen by the First. And all before him as well, personally chosen and given the blood of First to become demon slayers. Laughable, is it not? But Kazuno Seira, the first heir after their lineage was long broken, given blood by none other than Sixth. Yes. Sixth, who should have been dead, manifested himself to show his forgiveness. Forgiveness… haha! As if the Four Seasons sought that from him!

"But…" Void cleared her throat and shook her head before speaking calmly once again. "Kazuno Seira who carries the most potent demon blood, much more than humans should, from the very Demon Lord who granted you those blades. Kazuno Seira who, despite her master's wishes, returned to the Underworld to fight! Alone! Can you think of that? And she did. She fought with everything she had. She even injured First! Injured him such that he would take over a year to recover! If only I had been there, I truly would have loved to see it in person."

"Master fought First…? I…" Honoka tried to sort through the massive amount of information she had just received and it was only serving to confuse her more. "Master has Sixth's blood in her? I have Fourth's? I… don't understand. What does that mean, Void? Why are you…?"

"Silence, Four Seasons. I'm tiring of that godforsaken voice. That ignorant voice. It's giving me more of a headache than I could ever imagine." Kanan placed a hand to her face and turned a glare to the girl, causing Honoka's hand to instinctually return to the hilt of her Demonbrand. But Kanan just let out a sigh, a heavier one than the ginger expected, one that seemed completely resigned. "Worthless."

Then Honoka heard it again, that voice calling out to her. And this time it was clear.

_Now, Honoka!_

A clear, light voice, pleasant to the ears. It felt as if a wave of warmth washed over her, relaxing her muscles and easing her fatigued mind. And for some reason, she felt the need to follow those instructions. Despite the obvious danger, she just felt like that action would be… right. It was something she wasn't used to, but she felt an absolute trust in the voice.

"Four Seasons, autumn style, 5th blade." Honoka felt light, much more so than she was before. Her breathing was calm, and her movements flowed perfectly. She had eyes only on Void who glanced up as she started speaking with uninterested look, as if a fly had just flown by her face. A katana appeared in Kanan's hand but Honoka was quicker, her blade already perfectly planned out, a path to victory already set before her. All she had to do was grasp it. There was no killing Void. But she knew from that voice, from watching, she knew. She just had to land this hit, that was it. For some reason, she knew everything would be fine if she just made sure this one hit landed. It didn't help that it was the first time she had used this blade in actual combat, but she didn't feel nervous. That warm feeling enveloped her, urging her forward, urging her toward Void.

When she had learned this blade, Seira had always told her to be careful with it. It was meant to "sever and open" was the only explanation Honoka had received when she learned it. Though she had never figured out quite what that meant during her training, it suddenly made a lot of sense to her. When she struck out with that blade, she could feel it, Autumn wrapped around her, flowing through her into her blade. Everything felt very slow and she saw Void's blade lift, but she continued forward.

_This is… how it should be. Mm. I never wanted all of these things. After becoming a demon slayer, all I want is to fight alongside Master with my dear partner at my side. I want to protect my friends and the world they're still a part of. Everything Void has told me… is unnecessary right now. I just need the Four Seasons at my side. Master always told me that, right? Even if she dies, the Four Seasons will always be with me. They allow me to protect Hanayo, to continue fighting. Even now, when I'm hopelessly outmatched in power, they push me forward. I know you always worried about me, Master. And I'm sure you only lied to me because you care about me. But… I have to keep moving. I have to step forward. And now… now is one of those times. With this blade, I'll change everything. My fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it. I'll shape my future right here and now! To go back to Hanayo and you, to go back to my friends! I just need this one blade!_

"Tsukimi."

As she closed in, she thought she saw a smirk on Kanan's face. No, not a smirk, but a genuine smile. She felt her blade connect and easily tear through the sword the girl had produced. Honoka squeezed out every ounce of strength, willing this blade to go all the way. And she saw the moment it entered Void.

And then nothing else.

* * *

**Well, uh, yeah. Like I said, an information dump. Honoka wouldn't have time to learn this if it wasn't for the Void.**

**Also, I have finals starting next week, so wish me luck. Might not upload again until they're over. (They end the 9th or something, I think.)**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	30. Interlude - The Prince of Blades

**How is this 30 chapters? Well, it won't be that much longer, I promise. We're getting to the climax.**

**Too all of you who are hanging around for the ride, thank you. I never thought this fic would be long, it was just something to write in the meantime, but I've become somewhat attached as I've built this universe in my head.**

**Anyways, enjoy.**

* * *

_**Correct me if I'm wrong, but were we not in a rush to reach the Underworld? Our time is limited. If First encounters Four Seasons before we get there…**_

"I'm aware. However, while shuffling through your memories, I saw something… that I can't ignore. Would we really be enough to take First on anyways? You're in a weakened state even if you're in my body. We're not even sure you can manifest a Demonbrand in this state. We'll need all the help we can get." Umi was kind of amazed that words that had been so foreign to her just the other day came to her like nothing. That would take some getting used to.

_**While I agree there is cause for concern, contacting the Prince of Blades is…**_

Umi shook her head and knocked on the door in front of her. Before Origin could lead them to the location that they would use to get to the Underworld, Umi had insisted on making a stop to visit somebody. After all, she had come across many interesting things in those memories, but she had to pick and choose what she wanted to investigate now and what could wait until later.

"Coming!" A very familiar voice came from behind the door and it opened up to reveal her twintailed friend, a curious look on her face. "Umi? What's…?" Nico stopped and narrowed her eyes, looking the girl up and down. "Tch. What do you want?"

"Onee-chan!" A couple voices yelled out to her from back inside. Nico quickly ran back inside and they could hear her talking to her siblings for a it before heading back, roughly pushing past Umi and closing the door behind her.

With a deep sigh, she leaned back against the railing and eyed her former junior. "So? What do you want?"

"I'm surprised you knew what we were here to talk about…" Umi's eyed the girl curiously. Nico had realized something was up in just seconds even though Origin had assured her that he was hiding his presence at all times. But that question was answered in short order.

"Tch. As if you can hide from me, you piece of shit. Ah, uh, I'm talking to the _thing_ inside you, Umi." Umi nodded in understanding. "So? Are you going to explain to me how…" She waved her hand at the girl. "_this_ happened?"

Umi gave as brief of an explanation as possible. Though, really, there wasn't much to explain. She wanted to save Honoka and Origin, knowing this, wanted to use her to save the girl. Their goals aligned and that was pretty much it. Though she had been cautious about trusting him, after he shared his memories with her, she had no reason to doubt him. In fact, she felt amazingly confident about trusting him afterwards. Nico just nodded along the whole time.

"So? Why are you here to see me? Because I didn't say anything about being… me? Because I should have spoken up when Honoka and Hanayo told us about themselves? Because I didn't help fight that gargoyle that day?" Nico shook her head. "I have to admit, I regret that last one. Because of my hesitation, Honoka got hurt. I could have easily stepped up, especially when Maki took out her Demonbrand. But I… Ah, forget it. What do you want with me? Hurry it up."

"We would like your help, Nico. We'll be going to the Underworld to save Honoka. But… in order to do that, we'll mostly likely have to face a confrontation with the First Demon Lord. I've seen his memories, Nico. I know how powerful you are."

"Then you know _why _ I'm like this." Nico quickly snapped back. "Both that piece of shit inside of you and First are responsible for it. Look, I'm just a normal human. I don't have demon blood in me. Going to the Underworld is like a death sentence. The sheer amount of mana in the atmosphere would be suffocating. And even _if_ I can survive it, I'll be so weakened that I won't stand a chance against a Demon Lord."

Umi stared at her, having an internal struggle with Origin for a bit before she spoke up again. Well, he spoke up.

"**Yazawa Nico.**" Umi bowed deeply. "**It was never my intention to have your ancestors cursed. Though I asked for help from your ancestor, there was never to be any long-term problems. I admit full responsibility for my foolishness and inability to protect your line.**"

"We don't need your fucking protection. You're goddamn lucky that this curse skipped over my siblings or I would fucking drag you out of Umi's body and kill you." Nico sighed and turned around, leaning over the rail. "Well, why is Four Se-…" She winced at her mistake. "Why is Honoka in the Underworld?"

"**First has taken her there through the remains of Seventh. He intends to extract where… ah, what do you humans call it again? Where his Hallowed Ground is.**"

Nico actually perked up at that. Hallowed Ground? Of course she knew what that was. But the Hallowed Ground of the First Demon Lord? That's something else entirely. And Honoka knew the location of that place? Four Seasons, right. She should have known.

"Hmph. It didn't even register to me, but I should have known. I know the history of the Four Seasons well enough. It makes sense that they would know where it is. And if First learns of its location…" She cringed at the thought. "There would be no stopping him. The last thing we need is a permanent connection to the Underworld. We'd be royally fucked. Just the amount of mana flowing in would probably be enough to kill off most humans." She turned back and sighed again. After hearing that, there was no way she could just sit by. "You should have opened up with a 'this is a world-ending scenario,' you know. But, either way, going to the Underworld is… probably not possible for me."

"**I am more than capable of providing protection for you, Yazawa Nico. There is no need to worry.**"

"No need to worry." She snorted. "Yeah, I just love going on trips to the Underworld to fight the First Demon Lord to save my friend. It's my hobby, really."

"Nico. Will you help us?"

"Hmph. What's with that? Seeing Sixth's memories has changed you, huh?" Nico shook her head. "I'll go. Just because I know that idiot would dive into the Underworld with no hesitation to save me if I was in the same position. Really, out of everybody, Honoka had to end up inheriting the Four Seasons? I assume Hanayo is with her?" After a nod from Umi, Nico thought for a second before turning back to her door. "Wait here."

Umi spent the few minutes of waiting shuffling through Origin's memories of the Yazawa line. Nico's family suffered from a curse that had partially transformed their souls into those of demons. However, because the transformation was _partial_, it was highly unstable. She had gained no resistance to the mana of the Underworld. Though she would have an incredibly long lifespan, that didn't make up for it to Nico.

Nico walked out a minute later with a shinai bag slung over her shoulder. "Alright, let's go."

"Nico, is that…?"

"Hmph. Unlike demon slayers, I can't manifest a Demonbrand, so I use an ordinary katana that's been passed down. I can't just make it disappear, so this will have to do. Luckily for _you_, I inherited all the memories of my ancestors so, even though I've rarely fought, I'm still just as skilled as all of them." She glared at Umi, but Umi knew that was meant for Origin. "Whatever. Let's just get going. To think I'm putting my trust in a fucking _Demon Lord_ to keep me safe."

Despite the urgency, Nico took the walk slowly, Umi glancing at her curiously. It was obvious she wanted to talk about something, but she seemed to be gauging if she should. The look of contemplation was starting to bother her and, if Origin's suggestions about speaking to her were anything to go by, it was bothering him as well.

"Nico, um, is something on your mind?"

Nico barely spared her a glance before throwing a blank stare in front of her. "How much do you know? I assume all of those memories haven't completely sank in, right? I know because it took years for the memories of my ancestors to set in properly."

"How much do I know about what?"

"Do you know about Nozomi?"

"Eh? I uh…" She hadn't even thought about the other girls since she had gotten those memories. That wasn't exactly something that was high on her priority list when one of her best friends was trapped in the Underworld and being hunted by a Demon Lord.

"I know it all. I probably know more than that idiot inside of you. After all, I have the memories of every Yazawa swordsman." She looked around as if to make sure nobody was listening in. "Nozomi… you can probably tell from her hobby, right?"

"Tarot reading?"

"Mm. Though she's not a demon slayer and definitely not the heir to the Void, she's able to glance into the future using the Void. Why? Don't ask me. Void has always chosen an Oracle, but why it had to be somebody in our friend group… Well, who knows? I don't think she knows that's the case and she's not likely to ever find out. After all, I don't think the heir to the Void knows either. She approached Honoka when she was only with Eli and Nozomi and said nothing to Nozomi so… it's probably better off that way. Don't you go telling her now either."

"I don't plan on it… After all, I'm not even sure how I would begin explaining about myself and Origin."

"'Origin.'" Nico snorted. "A fitting name, I guess. You and Seventh started everything after all. And before you start, I don't want another half-assed apology. I really don't want to fucking hear it right now."

Umi didn't really know what to say. She had expected anger from the girl, of course, but she didn't expect her to act like _this_. Nico looked ready to kill somebody and, well, she was. Umi believed her that if Origin wasn't in her body, Nico would kill him. And, the more she shuffled through his memories, the more she believed that she could in fact do just that. Though Origin's knowledge of the current generation of demon slayers was lacking, she believed Nico could likely take on any heir barring maybe Void going all out.

And yet even though she was that strong, Nico just wanted to sit back and take care of her family. Umi felt a little guilty about bringing her along, but she knew that they would need all the power they could get if they were going to fight First. It wasn't every day that demon slayers would go up against such a fearsome opponent. And both her and Origin shared a bad feeling that First wouldn't be their only opponent when they finally reached Honoka. All they could hope for was to avoid confrontation all together or that, by some miracle, all of them combined would be enough to overwhelm the First Demon Lord. But, from Origin's memories of his power, Umi wasn't sure she even believed that was possible.

"Don't worry, Umi." Umi snapped out of her thoughts, surprised by the words. And even more surprised that they came from Nico and not Origin. "We'll save her. And we'll put an end to First. We'll put an end to everything."

"Nico…"

"Even ignoring any grudges I may have against First and Sixth… Honoka is our precious friend. We lost Honoka once, but I won't let that happen again. If I have to cut through a few Demon Lords to make that a reality, I don't mind." Nico clutched the strap that was holding her shinai bag. "I'll make everything right."

Against Umi's better judgment, she let Origin get a quick word in. And this was _really_ against her better judgment.

"**We are glad to have your assistance, Prince of Blades.**"

Nico paused just long enough to turn a glare on the girl and say, "If you _ever_ fucking call me that again, I swear I'll drag you out of that body and slowly slice your real form into pieces."

Origin didn't speak another word the rest of the way.

* * *

**Oh, Nico, you silly swearing shorty.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	31. The Prince & the Void

**A long ride to be sure. But the end is nearing. Please stick around to the end.**

**A tiny bit of action in this chapter, I suppose. Not what everybody is looking for though, I'm sure.**

**Enjoy.**

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Nico had been mumbling various things about how pissed off she was at their current situation, but Umi felt it was better to just let her vent her anger. If she would still help them, then she could feel free to curse and pout all she wanted. And really, she had every right to. She was working with one of the beings she hated the most. Umi couldn't shed the bit of guilt she felt about that and Origin had remained completely silent on the matter after their initial conversation.

Origin directed them to the source of the magic he felt, the mana that exuded from the magic of the Seventh Demon Lord. But as they stepped out of the elevator, they were greeted by an unfortunately familiar face. The long flowing purple hair, the beautiful, enticing smile that only an idol could have. Erena straightened up from her position leaning against the door of the apartment the two were headed towards.

"My, if it isn't Yazawa Nico. I don't believe we've had much of a chance to speak after your group broke up. I'm very sorry to hear what happened to your leader. Honoka-chan was such an energetic and… promising girl." The mock sorrow in her voice only served to piss Nico off just a bit more and she thought that this girl better be grateful that she was so good at controlling that anger.

"Shut up, Void. Do you think I don't know what's going on in the demon slayer world or something? Tch. I wish I didn't. Even if I hadn't kept somewhat in the know, I've known that you were the Master of Void from our very first meeting in person."

"Oh? I do quite a good job at hiding my aura if I do say so myself."

"An excellent job, in fact. You could probably even fool the Master of the Devouring Sword's nose with that technique. But no matter how you try to hide it, I can feel it. I can feel the Void oozing from you, it's fucking disgusting." Nico crossed her arms and cursed at herself under her breath. She didn't want to argue with this girl, but she was between them and the door and she wanted nothing more than to save Honoka and be done with all of this. "I also know that whatever… _this_ is…" She gestured at the girl. "isn't your real body. I assume since you're outside that door, you're already aware of the entire situation. Is your real body in the Underworld?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Erena shrugged as if it didn't matter. "I'm more curious as to why you're here, Prince of Blades. I wasn't aware that we would be receiving royalty today. And on top of that…" Her eyes drifted over Umi who held her ground. "I see. Origin, is it? Have you possessed the body of a young girl to fix your mistakes?"

"**I have formed a voluntary contract with Sonoda Umi. What I wish to accomplish is not of your concern, Void. Really, you're so cruel to me but I worked very close with the Void before.**"

"I'm quite aware. Forget not that I have inherited the Void and have access to whatever knowledge pleases me." She nodded in Nico's direction. "That is why I knew you were coming, Prince. But I believe we have everything covered. Your interference is unnecessary."

A strong silence settled over the group as the unspoken threat came upon them. Nico sized the girl up before sighing and yanking the shinai bag off her shoulder. She opened it and pulled out a katana, the sheath a pure red unlike the designs of most Demonbrands. Well, as she had said, it was just a normal sword and not a Demonbrand anyways. She tossed the bag away and turned her gaze back to the idol.

"Move aside, Void. I don't have time to deal with you." She lowered her voice. "Umi, stay behind me. No matter what happens, if you stay behind me, you'll be fine." Umi just nodded and took a slight step back. "Do you really want to fight in such a small area? Surely the Void favours a larger battlefield."

"The Void is quite capable of fighting no matter what the battlefield may be. I appreciate your worry." A katana appeared at her side. "But I would like to ask once more that you stay away. Though fighting you seems like fun, it would probably be better not to. And, to be honest, the connection to this illusion from the Underworld is fairly unstable. I had hoped to keep it stationed here to make sure nobody wandered in…"

"Shut up. You already knew we were coming. I don't know why you want to interfere with us, but it looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson. I'm sure being the strongest demon slayer has really boosted your ego, but I'll bring it back down to earth. You were lucky enough to inherit the Void and I was unlucky enough to be cursed as… the _Prince of Blades_." She spat the name and cringed as it left her mouth. "If I'm going to have such a ridiculous reputation, I'll have to show you exactly why I have it."

"**I believe you are feeding into exactly what Void wants, Yazawa. I don't think…**"

"And? Do you have a better idea? You want to save Honoka, right? Void is standing in our way. And I'm more than capable of taking her on myself. I'll destroy this illusion quickly and we can be on our way." Nico took a deep breath and drew her katana slowly. "Come at me, Void. I'll end this quickly."

Umi watched cautiously, running through options with Origin of things they could do if this started to turn out poorly for them. However, the Demon Lord denied any interference. In the end, it only risked Umi getting hurt and that wasn't something he was ready to risk. Memories flashed through her mind of swordsman fighting, memories of the Yazawa line slaying demons. Even though they weren't proud of their curse, it was something they had learned to live with. And they had developed some sense of "duty" around the whole matter. Though it seemed like Nico had changed that or perhaps it had even changed before her.

But Origin kept assuring her that Nico would not have lost any of the skill of the previous Yazawa ancestors. And in this case, it seemed like he had the utmost confidence that she would win against Void. And Nico looked ready to prove that, a slight smirk making its way onto her face as she waited for the Master of Void to attack.

"Void style, 3rd blade." Nico felt the attack long before it had a chance to reach her. Without giving Void time to even finish the name of her blade the strike was knocked away, the slight sound of metal on metal being the only indication that either had even made a move.

"I don't think I need to inform you of this, Erena, but you're fighting the culmination of every swordsman of the Yazawa line. No matter how much faith you put in the Void, its power can't make up for the sheer difference in skill. I'll say it one more time. Move aside or be cut down."

"My, if only I could fight you with my real body. Unfortunately, fighting from a wheelchair does not suit me when fighting such a powerful opponent. However, I cannot step aside. I apologize." She gave a small bow, but her smile was smug when she came back up.

"What's the meaning of this, Erena?" Umi asked from behind her twintailed friend. "I don't understand why you won't let us through. Even if you want to fight Nico, this is…"

"Fight the Prince? Well, yes. That is a bonus. However…" Erena looked out over the railing. "I simply wish to see what will become of Four Seasons down there."

"Eh?"

"Four Seasons… Kousaka Honoka is an amazing individual. She is easily the most talented demon slayer born in the last hundred years, perhaps even longer. And once she uses Autumn to its fullest extent… Ah, I can't wait to see." Her eyes drifted back to Nico and her smiled dropped. "But I believe that she won't grow to her full extent with you around. Honoka was only able to come this far after dying and losing her friends. I'm quite aware that she has been in contact with all of you girls again. But I'm afraid that will only stunt her growth."

In warning, deep slashes carved up the ground around Erena, but she didn't flinch, didn't break eye contact with the twintailed girl. Nico was clutching the hilt of her sword so tightly, her knuckles were turning white. Umi could practically feel the girl having to hold back her anger. She was definitely on the edge of exploding and this building would probably be her first victim along with the illusion of the Master of Void.

"Honoka is none of your concern, Void." To Nico's credit, she was able to keep her voice even. "God, I'm so fucking tired of this world. Demon slayers, Void, Four Seasons, whatever. I'm so tired of all of it. I especially hate people like you, idiots who think they're above the others because they inherited something. It's amazing that you can be so ignorant when you have access to a bank of infinite knowledge. Really, it just pisses me off all the more."

Nico drew her sword back and gave it a gentle swing forward. Erena made a move to bring her sword to bear, but the illusion was completely destroyed in an instant. She managed to not completely destroy the ground, but it was torn up from the force of her strikes even from that distance.

"Amazing…" Though Umi had seen other Yazawas fighting through Origin's memories, seeing it for herself left her breathless. Even with the enhanced senses of a Demon Lord she now had, she could barely perceive the blade striking up the ground and tearing apart the illusion.

"Hmph. As if I would lose to the Master of Void… and an illusion of her at that. What a joke. Then again… if it ended that easily, even she would believe that's boring. I can still feel it. The Void is lingering. And beside that…"

"Hey, dueling without me is pretty shitty!" Umi turned to look towards the elevator they had just stepped off. "I came here because of Void, but if you want to duel someone, I'm always up for it!" Setsuna summoned her katana to her side with a smirk.

"… The heir to the Devouring Sword?" Nico tilted her head in confusion. "I'm really meeting all sorts of people today, aren't I? So, what? Did Void ask you to come here to help fight me? I doubt it. As if Void would ever recognize that she can't beat me. And even then, calling in backup isn't really her style."

They all turned back to where the illusion had been just seconds before to see a patch of… darkness floating there. No, not darkness, Nico knew. The Void was manifesting itself. A quick swipe of her sword confirmed her thought that she couldn't slice something that, in its truest essence, was _nothing_. The Void contracted and spasmed in random directions. Everything around it looked as if it was shifting slightly, it almost hurt to look at.

Finally, it settled down, the darkness significantly smaller than before, maybe the size of a bowling ball. The same voice reached out, Erena's voice.

"It looks like most of you are here now. I suppose the time for games are over. As I believe I said, I did, in fact, not come here to fight you, Prince. We have something of much more importance to discuss. And our time to speak is limited. After all… everything comes together soon." A deep laugh came from the Void, nothing like Erena's voice. It seemed to echo off of walls that didn't exist, bouncing around them, deafeningly loud. It slowed until silence enveloped them. Then Erena's voice again. "You see, I'm a good girl. A good traditional demon slayer. Don't we all wish for the same thing? Even you, Origin, wish for the destruction of the remaining Demon Lords, no?"

Umi nodded her head slowly not quite sure where this was going. She already knew Origin held doubts about Void from long ago. Apparently, their line had always been like this.

"I wonder what will happen to us demon slayers when that day comes. Will there suddenly be a mass resurrection of the dead? Will we easily slide back into society as if nothing happened? What about our styles? Will the Void vanish back to nothing? Will the Four Seasons retreat back to nature? Will the Devouring Sword go into hiding? What about the Sky? Light? Sun? Moon?" She paused, letting the group think. "Of course, I am already quite aware. I have seen the future through the Void. I want not for knowledge. I don't remain anxious about an uncertain future. And because of this, I find it my duty to help. From the bottom of my kind heart."

The Void expanded and the Master of Void strode out as if nothing had happened. Well, they all knew it was just another illusion, so it really was like nothing had happened.

"What are you playing at, Void? I'm tired of wasting time with your games. Hurry it up or I'll push through."

"Patience, Prince, patience. It looks like she's finally here." All eyes turned as the elevator opened. It must have gone back down right after Devour arrived. Riko's head stuck out and glanced around before an exhausted expression briefly took over as her eyes gazed over the group. She walked forward and shook her head.

"I didn't know what to expect when you called me out here but…" She looked over the group. "Did you purposely pick a time when I would be separated from Chika?"

"It all just seemed to work out. You happened to not get caught up in the Underworld like your friends. That means that you've volunteered to take part in this."

"Underworld? What…?"

"Silence. It's about time I begin explaining, I suppose." All eyes turned back to Void. "I didn't gather you all at random. I handpicked you… you might say. Or you might say your lives have been leading up to this point. Everything else is practically meaningless in the face of this, after all. Yes, the result of the work of every demon slayer before you has led to this. All of you who hate sacrifice should rejoice as the time of the end is near. Your job is quite simple. The goal of every demon slayer since Sixth granted us Demonbrands. The one thing that has been wished for above all else."

Nico tightened her grip on her katana, looking more than ready to lash out. Setsuna bounced up and down in excitement at the sudden turn of events, though she was really just itching to fight. Umi frowned, she could feel Origin's uneasiness and that in turn made her feel more than a little uneasy herself. Riko swallowed a lump in her throat, more confused than anybody at that moment. The group stared at Erena as a wide smile came across her and she held out her hand.

"The destruction of the First Demon Lord."

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**If you want to consider this fic in small arcs, this is the last arc. Though it'll be the longest, there aren't many more chapters to go.**

**I hope you all enjoyed.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	32. Visions of the Void II - Koizumi Hanayo

**Sorry this one took so long to get out. I don't really know why, but it took forever for me to write this chapter. And, thinking about it, it didn't turn out the exact way I wanted it to. But I'll take a "it's good enough" check on that one.**

**I bought the first three volumes of the Love Live Sunshine manga out of curiosity. I think the character writing is significantly better than the anime. I already enjoy it more. But yeah, reading that today made me realize that I should really get to finishing this chapter so I did. Things will pick up soon, so stick around if you so please.**

**Anyways, enjoy.**

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**…**

Darkness. The never-ending darkness that she somewhat expected of the Void. Though the enhanced eyesight Hanayo received from her demon blood would normally let her see in darkness fairly easily, she could see nothing in this place. And that's because, she figured, there was nothing to see. Her knowledge of the Void was sparse at best, but she knew that it was "nothing" and "everything" essentially. That had always been hard to wrap her head around and it's not like she was partnered with Void, so she had no reason to look into it deeper. But now she was somewhat regretting that.

There was no sound. Her footsteps were silent, and no noise came when she tried to call out. Panic was starting to set in, but she tried to hold confidence. Yoshiko was trying to save them so she wouldn't have brought them here if she thought something might happen to them. But where was Yoshiko? Where was Honoka? Why was she alone? Being alone in the Void sent the worst chill through her. She really wouldn't be surprised if something struck out at her from that darkness and killed her on the spot.

But instead, a beautiful girl showed herself. Even though it was a beautiful girl, she still served to scare the hell out of Hanayo who nearly fainted at the sight of her. The girl just gave her a smile and then looked around in confusion.

"Ah, my bad, my bad, ahaha." She clapped and the world shifted around the two. The darkness turned into light, the nothing into walls. Hanayo blinked and looked around. They somehow ended up in a small room with nothing but a table in the middle, a cushion on either side. The girl walked over to one side and sat down, gesturing for Hanayo to do the same. She hesitated, but finally sat. Her voice decided to find its way out of her at that point.

"U-Um… where… are we? I thought… we were in the Void…" The last thing she remembered before being surrounded by darkness was Honoka helping her into the Void. "Where's Honoka-chan?"

"All in due time, she's safe, Hanayo-chan." The girl waved her question off. "I'm here to talk with you after all." Her smile unnerved Hanayo, but she managed to stay straight and keep her eyes locked on her.

_Ah… my eyes… they don't hurt anymore._

"That's right." Her attention jerked back to the girl in front of her. Had she just read her thoughts? "In this space you don't have to worry about your eyes hurting. I've stabilized them for the time being. However, I'm afraid that my power only extends so far as this space. Once you leave the Void, I won't be able to help you with that anymore. But, well, that's one of the reasons I called you here."

"In this space? But isn't this…?"

"Mm. You were right before. This is still the Void." She thought for a second. "Matsuura Kanan. That's what you can call me. I'm a former Master of the Void from long ago."

"E-Eh? W-Why are you in the Void then?"

"I am the Void." When Hanayo didn't respond, she laughed and continued. "It's kind of complicated, but I fused with the Void before I died. My real name… is lost to time. But at one time I really was the Master of the Void. Matsuura Kanan was as well, but she died long ago. It's just become something of habit for me to take her form when speaking with people. Not that this happens very often, haha."

Kanan waved a hand and a cup appeared in front of Hanayo and herself, filled to the brim with a light green liquid, steam slowly rising off the top. She reached out and took a sip. Hanayo hesitantly did the same. She was surprised at the super sweet taste that assaulted her tongue, but it wasn't bad. Just to be polite, she took a few more sips before setting it down. Kana wasn't paying her any heed though as she was going through a duffle bag that Hanayo hadn't noticed before. Actually, she was pretty sure it wasn't there before.

"Ah, here it is!" Kanan pulled out a small hand mirror and held it out towards Hanayo. "Take it. And look in it."

"Eh? Eh?" Hanayo was still confused about everything going on but when Kanan made no move to pull the mirror away or to answer her, she took the mirror. After swallowing a lump in her throat, she held it up to her face. Reflected in the mirror were her bright red eyes, practically glowing. No, they were actually glowing though she couldn't tell when she wasn't looking in the mirror. "This is…"

The image shifted slightly, and she felt herself being tugged away, far away.

* * *

"Eh?" Hanayo blinked once, making sure she was actually awake and not in a dream. Then again, if she was still in the Void, she wasn't sure she could actually distinguish that from a dream. A field spread out before her, as far as her eyes could see. Luscious green grass tickled her ankles.

_Thwack!_

A noise some distance behind her made her jump. When she turned, the first noticeable thing was a large tree, devoid of leaves. It was the only tree she could see in any direction… well, the only _anything_ she could see in any direction. That is, expect for the person by the tree. Hanayo cautiously moved closer. As she did, she could make out the beautiful floral kimono, black hair tied in a ponytail, flowing out with every movement. "Every movement" included the quick strikes the girl was launching at the tree with a bokken. As she nears, the girl stops her routine to acknowledge her, pink eyes flaring with anger before relaxing as she took Hanayo in. She let out a long sigh and resumed striking the tree.

"You going to say anything?"

"E-Eh? Ah, um…" The girl looked familiar…. Really familiar. In fact, if she had her hair in a different style, Hanayo would have mistaken her for their friend. Even though she figured it wasn't her, she couldn't stop the name from tumbling out. "N-Nico-chan?"

The bokken stopped right before making contact with the tree and she drew it back, starting a new series of strikes.

"Nico? My descendant, is it? Are you her friend or something?"

"D-Descendant?" The girl looked almost exactly like Nico, even in terms of stature. "I don't…"

"Ahh!" The Nico-like girl slammed the bokken into the tree, a chunk of the tree freeing itself and flying out into the field. "Void needs to learn how to explain shit! Void sent you here, right? That's the only way you can possibly be here!" Hanayo recoiled at the yelling and the girl seemed to relax a bit when she saw the brunette's reaction. "Well?"

Hanayo just nodded.

"Figures. Listen, you can't stay here long, alright? This is… how to say…? This is kind of like purgatory, I guess. A world between life and death. If you spend too much time here, even Void won't be able to help you out." She lightly tapped the bokken against the tree and sighed. "But, well, if Void sent you here, then there must be something…" The girl suddenly squinted at Hanayo, a strange look coming over her. "Ah, I see. I see. You inherited a Demon Lord's eyes? Or maybe they were given to you?"

Chika had mentioned it previously. Eyes given to her by the Fourth Demon Lord, eyes unlike any other partner. It's not like she had anything to compare them to, so she had never noticed anything amiss with them. And neither had Honoka. But Chika knew it immediately. Were her eyes really that special? What does having the Fourth Demon Lord's eyes mean?

"Given… by the Fourth Demon Lord. I-I'm not exactly sure why though."

Yazawa stared into her red eyes for a bit before finally turning her bokken over and slamming it into the ground hard enough that it sunk several inches in before releasing it. "Close your eyes."

"E-Eh?"

"Close them!" Hanayo flinched and did as she was told. "Focus on them. Believe that you want to see. You're not as attuned to the eyes yet, so you don't serve as a threat as the Witness. Focus. Demon blood allows you to feel the mana in the air, to see through it. Because you can see through it, you can see demons. But with Fourth's eyes, you can see more."

Hanayo tried to think about it. But the more she thought about it, the less sense it made to her. Seeing through mana? Was that really the reason she could see demons? She had never heard anything like that before. And what was she supposed to see with Fourth's eyes that she couldn't see otherwise? Would she actually be able to see it? She squeaked when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but kept her eyes closed.

"Have confidence in yourself. You are a fine partner. You wish to help your friend, right? You don't want to be a burden, right?" The brunette nodded. Being a burden to Honoka was the last thing she wanted. "I don't believe she sees you as one. But that doesn't matter if you see yourself as a burden. So, I'll help you with a little something. Don't open your eyes. What do you see?"

"Eh? Um… nothing…" Her eyes were closed, of course she couldn't see anything.

"No. Focus on my voice this time. Listen closely." Hanayo blushed a bit as she felt warm air against her ear. "You can see." A soft whisper, a kind and clear voice, not commanding, but hopeful. "Look ahead of you. If you can't open your eyes to what's right in front of you, then you can't move forward. Focus. Hear my words. Look. See."

A brief shock ran up Hanayo's spine and she couldn't stop herself from shaking. But she relaxed when a hand gently began to stroke her hair. She focused on that hand and the voice that still whispered to her. The instructions felt unclear. Simply telling somebody to "do this" doesn't help them. But she still tried. In the darkness, she searched for something, anything that could help her. Would she see it without opening her eyes? What was _it_ anyways? That question still had yet to be answered by the strange girl.

Then she saw it, for just a brief second. A glimpse of silver, a thread that flowed through the darkness. She reached out for it, desperately trying to grab at it, but it vanished as fast as it had appeared. The voice assured her that it was okay, telling her that she just needed to try again. Could the girl see what she was seeing? Had she seen the silver thread?

Again. Hanayo felt like she was actually jumping at the thread, but she couldn't reach it, couldn't grab onto it. The third time, she felt it. She felt it even before it appeared and she preemptively reached out, her hand brushing against it. A strange feeling filled her entire body. It was warm, comforting, assuring, much like the girl's voice but on a deeper level. It felt right.

The fourth time, Hanayo relaxed and willed herself forward in the darkness, willed herself towards where she knew the thread would appear. And as it came into being, she slowly reached out and caressed it, warmth filling her once again. The thread wrapped around her hand, this time staying. Though it felt like nothing was there, she was sure she could see it.

"Now… open your eyes."

Hanayo had almost forgotten that she had closed her eyes. She opened them slowly and sucked in her breath. Immediately, everything felt different. The vibrant green on the grass felt brighter. The blue sky felt clearer. She turned to stare into the eyes of the girl. Those eyes felt… strange. Deep, pink eyes. They felt almost wrong, out of place. Even though this girl looked almost exactly like Nico, she felt wrong in that moment.

"Who… are you?" She heard herself saying before she could stop.

The girl smirked, something that also looked very Nico-like, and walked over to the bokken, pulling it out from its dirt prison. She examined it and nodded when she determined that the wood was still intact. With a single swing from that bokken, she cut the tree cleanly in half, the top portion falling into the grass but making no noise.

"Me?" She laughed bitterly, but when she turned back towards the brunette, she wore a genuine smile. "I'm just a figment from the past, a soul that never moved on. But, well, I doubt it would mean anything to you, but the name is Yazawa, a former Prince of Blades." Another bitter laugh escaped her mouth and she shook her head. "Give my regards to my descendant. I'm sorry she couldn't inherit my memories since I haven't died. But, well, not like she should mind." Yazawa motioned behind the brunette. "You can leave now. Looks like your time is up anyways."

Hanayo turned around and saw the darkness, the same that she had seen before in the Underworld, the darkness of the Void that she had stepped into. She approached it slowly but turned back to the girl who examined the cut down tree with annoyance.

"Thank you, Yazawa-san."

Yazawa turned to her and smirked. "You're not going to ask more about me? About the Yazawa line? About my descendant?" Hanayo shook her head.

"I'm thankful for what you've done. And… I'm sure you want to have your privacy, right?" Yazawa brought her bokken up to rest on her shoulder and laughed loudly.

"You're definitely something, Ojou-chan." She relaxed into a comforting smile. "You'll be fine now. You can see everything. Remember to always look, to see. It's pointless to stare without seeing. My time is done, but yours is just starting. And uh…" A light red tint came to her cheeks as she thought of something. "Tell my descendant to keep her head up. She has a hard life ahead of her, but I know she can handle it. Everybody is with her after all."

There was a strange pause, Yazawa waiting for the girl to leave but Hanayo stayed, shifting awkwardly, nervously.

"U-Um… Yazawa-san… your eyes… are they…?" The black-haired girl looked confused for a second before laughing loudly once again and walking up to the brunette.

"See? Your eyes are already opening. That's good." Yazawa blinked and when she opened them again, they glowed a bright red. "That's right. But these don't matter anymore. They're stuck here with me after all… and that's how it should be. Now, get going." Yazawa gave her a gentle push and Hanayo felt herself falling away into the darkness of the Void. "Good luck out there, Hanayo-chan."

* * *

**I don't really have much to say about this chapter. Just a little chapter about Hanayo. I say little, but this chapter is extremely important.**

**Well, that's all for now.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	33. Interlude - Tsushima Yoshiko

**A small glimpse into the Void.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

If I had to describe what I've inherited, I would say "nothing." The Void is not something that can be described, it's not something that I can arbitrarily assign meaning or purpose to. So, what is the Void? I think I only truly came to understand it after learning my last blade. Master always told me to wait and see, giving me a confident smile.

Master… She really is kind, I swear. Around others, she tends to act too politely or puts on an air of superiority. Maybe I'm the only one who gets to see the real her, but I definitely see a completely different side of her. When it's just the two of us, she laughs. Not a forced laugh, but a genuine one, one where she smiles widely and tears up sometimes she's laughing so hard. Instead of a knowing smile, she shows me a kind, considerate smile.

I love my Master and respect her a lot. Most people might be led to believe that because she is stuck in a wheelchair, she can't perform at the same level of other demon slayers. Far from it. Despite being restricted, she can still take on any master of their generation. It's incredible. When I see her strike, when I see her command the Void against her opponents, it makes my chest tighten. "I want to be like that." That's what I thought the first time she showed me.

The Void is… special, both the actual Void and Void style. I have observed duels between master and heir before of other styles and it is a back and forth, the master always overpowering their heir or the heir pulling some small trick to disarm the master. But it includes a lot of movement, both sprinting around and pulling their blades against each other.

When I duel with my master however… I guess I can't say what it looks like from an outside perspective, but I can take a good guess based on my vast experience dueling with her. After all, we duel quite often. I'm always eager to show her my progress, to show her that I'm worthy of inheriting the Void.

* * *

"You wanted this, right, Yoshiko? Then, come at me." Erena sat smugly in her wheelchair, a katana resting in its sheath on her lap, neither of her hands touching it. She stared across the way at her heir who held her Demonbrand at her side, taking a few steps forward.

This was how all of their duels went. Silence ensuing before the first strike which would inevitably not reach her target. But Yoshiko would try her damn best anyways. "Void style, 5th blade." A smirk from her master. "Closed chapter." Metal clashed, ground was destroyed, but her master simply sat still, her hand never reaching for the sword on her lap. The exchange only lasted a second at most. Yoshiko frowned, knowing that that she hadn't reached her master.

"I suppose it's my turn then." Erena smirked at her heir. "Void style, 3rd blade." Yoshiko tightened her grip on her katana, waiting for the blade. If she used any other style she might not be able to keep up with her master. But they both used the Void and she wouldn't let the Void strike her. "Void style, 3rd blade." Challenging her master's blade head on was an entirely different thing though. If she couldn't follow through, she would be reprimanded for her arrogance, but she had full faith in the Void. It would not fail her here.

""Last Words.""

Another instant of blades striking against each other, Yoshiko successfully countering her master's blade with her own. This was definitely nothing like other battles between master and heir, Yoshiko thought. To outsiders it would almost look as if nothing was happening. Neither would move most of the time. The only indications that anything was happening would be the sounds of metal clashing and the occasional cut in the ground from a deflected strike on either side.

Instead of being stressful, Yoshiko found these duels to be calming. Fighting a powerful opponent felt good. No matter how many times she dueled her Master, it never got old. But it was about time for the duel to speed up.

"Void style, 9th blade." Yoshiko tensed up. Using that blade at least meant that her Master was taking this duel seriously. She quickly ran through all of her options, going head to head with the same blade would probably be impossible for this particular blade. But defending it head on with something else… "Void style, 1st blade." This blade was by no means defensive, but Yoshiko refused to stay strictly on defense. She would blast that blade and go straight through it. This was a chance for her to prove herself. "Oblivion cometh." "Null."

Realistically, it's impossible, Yoshiko thought. Defeating her master felt so far from her grasp. If she could ever defeat her, it would simply be because using the Void weakened her Master enough. But even so… _I want to defeat her_. No heir doesn't dream of defeating their master in a duel. It's something like a rite of passage. How can her Master pass away peacefully if she doesn't prove that all of her Master's work didn't go towards nothing? Of course, Erena didn't think like that at all and Yoshiko knew it deep down. Erena has the utmost faith in her heir as a successor. If anything, she acknowledged Yoshiko long ago.

But Yoshiko would never give up her mission, her duty. She spent every waking moment she could practicing. She would practice and practice until Erena insisted that she go out and relax. Yoshiko had no desire for anything else than to pursue her duty as a demon slayer. Therefore practice came first and everything else second. Even after she began to take jobs slaying demons, her jobs felt few and far between. HQ acknowledged the power of the Void and assigned them nothing less than A rank demons, considering the rest to be a waste of Void's time. And, even then, nothing short of A+++ rank demons gave the heir to Void any trouble. She would often kill things with a single blade, spending more time getting to the demon than fighting it.

Yoshiko felt the blade instead of seeing it. A blade that destroys targets from the inside out, a scary thought to say the least. The worst part about it when going against it is that it doesn't even have to truly "hit" the target to win. It's easily the hardest blade to counter in their style. But Yoshiko, who had long since mastered that blade as well, had confidence. For anybody else, it would be a death sentence. The calm look on her Master's face showed hope but she was serious about this duel.

Yoshiko moved in, finally taking a step for the first time that duel. She knew where the blade was coming from and knew the blade itself through and through. A nimble dodge from an unseen strike. She let her blade carry her through, moving with purpose, moving directly towards her goal. But Null had only a single purpose: to get her near her goal. She finally struck out, hitting the blade of her Master, making sure to space the strike correctly to avoid a fatal mistake. "Void style, 2nd blade." She changed her grip on her sword but continued forward.

"Void style, 2nd blade." Yoshiko smiled despite her situation, despite likely being completely outmatched. Her Master was going to challenge her blade straight on. She couldn't ask for a better opportunity to prove herself. After defending herself from Void's 9th blade, she knew she was just one step away. But this was the most crucial step. A slipup here would be humiliating, something she would never live down. Luckily, Yoshiko had no intention of failing now that her goal was in sight.

Erena's hand moved to the hilt of her Demonbrand as her heir closed in. Both had their blades prepared but only one would come out on top. Yoshiko willed the Void forward, pushing the limits of what she believed she could do. She already knew this exchange would only last a split second. Yoshiko felt the Void wrapping around her, urging her forward. That's right. This duel wasn't just to prove herself to her Master but to prove to the Void itself that she was worthy of becoming its master one day.

Four steps away. Three steps. Two steps. Both could feel the other's blade coming but neither would back down. Neither would change their blades to counter. This was a battle of willpower.

_I truly believe… that you saved me, Master. I imagine it's the same for all demon slayers, but I was lost, broken, an empty husk. Dying does that to a person. Hope became a foreign concept and I spent my days in misery. I only practiced my swordsmanship to distract myself from the pain of losing my former life, my friends, my family. Swinging my Demonbrand until my hands could no longer grasp it numbed me. I was weak. I poured myself into the blade to run away from my past._

_But then you came. You showed me a new way to live, a way to accept my new life while not forgetting the one I left behind. You brought the Void to me and allowed me to embrace it. I was sure the nothingness of the Void would feel cold, but it was the opposite. It was a comforting warmth that enveloped me every time I used a blade. Instead of begrudgingly swinging my sword every day, I happily practiced the Void's blades, your blades, Master._

_I was weak. The Void provided me with comfort, with hope. And so did you, Master. Those nights I cried, those nights I curled into a ball wishing that the world would just go away, you never left me. You embraced me and assured me that everything was alright. If it wasn't for you, I would have fallen apart long ago. But you accepted this weak girl and helped to make me stronger. You helped build up the Yoshiko that I thought was long dead. I owe you everything, Master. I'll always be by your side, fighting alongside you._

_And that's why I can't let you win this duel. No matter what, I have to win. To stay by your side, to grow as a person, as an heir. I'm no longer the weak girl who cried so many nights, who was afraid of the future and the past. I'll never back down, especially not in front of you, Master. So, please accept this blade! I, Tsushima Yoshiko, will put everything I have into this one blade! All for the sake of defeating you, Master!_

""To nothing.""

Yoshiko felt at peace in that moment. Everything felt right. The Void was with her and she knew she had struck the best she could. This would not be a time where she could say, "I was feeling unwell," or "I could have done better." No, this strike was the best she could do. This was the result of all of her training, all of those endless hours of practice. On that day, Yoshiko proved something to herself, assuring herself deep down.

Steel slammed against steel. It was brief just as she knew it would be, followed by a silence that only broke when a blade hit the dirt, a brief clang that felt to both as if it echoed to hours. Yoshiko wasn't quite sure how long she stood there, staring at her Master who wore the same calm smile as before she struck. Yoshiko's ears rang as her heartbeat finally settled. She took a step back and took a deep breath, letting all of the tension out with it.

"Hahaha, you never cease to surprise me, Yoshiko." Instead of summoning her katana back to her, Erena wheeled herself over to the fallen blade and stared at it. "Yoshiko. Can you pick this up for me?"

"Eh? A-Ah, yes, Master." Yoshiko sheathed her own blade and ran over, picking up the sword and handing it to her Master. Erena gratefully took the sword with a nod but grabbed the girl's hand before she could pull it away. "Master?"

"Do me a favour and kneel down?" This was the side of her Master that nobody else saw, she knew. A calm soothing voice filled with warmth. Yoshiko got down on one knee without questioning her Master.

"Master, what…?"

Her voice halted when she felt two arms wrap around her head and pull her forward into her Master's chest. A hand gently stroked her hair, slowly moving down before returning to the top and repeating. Yoshiko had to admit, it was one of the best feelings she had ever experienced. Her heart rested easy and she let herself relax into her Master's embrace.

"Good job, Yoshiko. I'm proud of you. You'll make a wonderful master one day."

"Mm. Thank you, Master."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	34. Underworld IV

**Again, feels like it's been forever.**

**Well, happy new year, everybody! I hope you all had a great 2019 and I hope you'll all have an even better 2020!**

**To celebrate 2020, here's the first chapter of the decade! Enjoy.**

**Also, hey, this brings the story to over 100k words. That's something, I guess.**

* * *

Honoka's eyes snapped open and immediately shut when they were greeted by red moon instead of the darkness of the Void. She opened them again, slowly this time and sat up slowly, looking around. They were definitely back in the Underworld. Chika was nowhere in sight so their trip through the Void must have been a success. She spotted Yoshiko a few feet from her, leaning against a rock, breathing heavily and wiping sweat from her face. Honoka finally stood and Yoshiko's eyes snapped to her.

"You're awake? Good. Wake up your friend over there. We shouldn't stay in one place too long." Yoshiko sighed and stood straight. "You've only been out for a few minutes. But going through the Void can take a lot out of a person."

All of the memories of what happened with the Void suddenly came rushing back to her and Honoka thought back to that last second. She had definitely struck Kanan, but what happened after? There was just darkness. She looked to her side to see Hanayo with her eyes closed. Yoshiko apparently hadn't even attempted to wake her up because when Honoka shook her a little, the girl's eyes opened.

"Honoka-chan…?"

"Mm. We made it, Hanayo-chan. Come on, stand up." She helped the brunette up. Hanayo seemed significantly more tired than her and she stretched and yawned once she was standing. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm…" Hanayo started but she paused as her eyes drifted over Yoshiko who crossed her arms and matched the girl's stare. "I can… see it…" Yoshiko tilted her head in confusion. "The Void…" It was hard to describe the feeling she got from looking at it, but she could definitely see it. The endless nothingness of the Void, clouding behind Yoshiko. It was unnerving to say the least and she almost felt like running away.

But then she turned to look at Honoka with the impairment of tiredness gone. And she could see and feel it. A soft warmth that enveloped the girl. Where Honoka walked, she saw orange and red leaves, crunching under her feet, fading in and out of existence. Behind the ginger, she could briefly see and feel other things as well. A cold white, a warm red, a vibrant green. It took her a second to realize what she was seeing.

"The Four Seasons…" Honoka blinked in surprise and tilted her head curiously. She looked to Yoshiko who simply shrugged in response. "I can see them… Yazawa-san was right…"

"Eh? Yazawa? Nico-chan? What about her?" Hanayo shook her head but didn't elaborate. How could she? Really, she had no idea what that whole thing was about. She hadn't gotten an actual name besides Yazawa, but she had called Nico her descendent. So, at the very least, she knew the girl was related to their friend. She turned her attention to Yoshiko.

"Y-Yoshiko-san." Hanayo paused to clear her throat and took a deep breath. "Yoshiko-san, do you know what the Prince of Blades is?"

Yoshiko frowned and sighed. "I presume the Void spoke to you as well." She eyed Honoka for a second, showing that she apparently already knew that the ginger had as well. "Well, it's not my place to question what the Void does. Yes, I know. A line of warriors that goes back almost as far as demons and demon slayers, cursed by the First Demon Lord. Ah, what was their family name? Yazawa, I believe?"

Honoka perked up at that. "Eh? Ehhhh!? Nico-chan is… cursed? Wait, what? What's going on?" She looked between the two girls, Hanayo just nodding slowly as if the whole situation made sense. "Hanayo-chan? Yoshiko-chan?"

"Yohane. And it appears you two are friends with the Prince of Blades. It's a long history, but well… From my understanding, the Sixth Demon Lord recruited a warrior by the name of Yazawa to assist him against First. However, that warrior ended up being cursed. How? I don't know. I doubt anybody but First, Sixth, and the Prince know. But the Yazawa line is forever cursed, the next in line inheriting the memories of the previous warriors. With all of the swordsmanship they've inherited, they are extremely powerful. Hence their title, the Prince of Blades."

"Eh? It's a curse that makes them stronger…?"

"Think about how you felt when you were first pulled into this mess, Honoka. Every member of the Yazawa line that inherits the curse feels that way. I'm sure your friend does not wish to be part of this world either. Just like we were given no choice, they will never be given a choice." Yoshiko sighed. "So, why exactly were you informed of the Prince of Blades?"

That was something Hanayo didn't know. Was it all to fix her eyes? Could the Void not have done that itself? Kanan had said that she was, at the least, capable of somewhat controlling them in that space. And supposedly, the Void knows all. Yeah, Hanayo was at a loss.

"I… wasn't really 'informed' of them. I met one. If their line goes super far back, then she was one of the earlier ones, I think. She helped me with my eyes." Hanayo raised a hand and stared at it before looking between the two girls again, confirming that she could still see the Void and the Four Seasons. "She said she was trapped there though… from the way she sounded, I think she's there of her own free will. Ah, she knew about the Void too. Which makes sense, I suppose, since the Void sent me there. Kanan-san made me look into a mirror and next thing I knew, I was there with Yazawa-san."

"Eh? You met Kanan too, Hanayo-chan?"

"Hmph." Yoshiko shook her head. "That's just the form the Void likes to take when speaking. She's a former Master of Void from long ago. Either way, she sent you to meet a Prince? I'll have to ask for answers later. But that can wait. As for you…" She turned to Honoka. "How was it? I've always been curious of how another heir's interaction with the Void would be."

"…Well… pretty terrible, I gotta say." The other two girls perked up at that. "She practically strangled me at one point. And she talked about how killing me would mean nothing. She called me a 'singularity' because she couldn't see my future."

Honoka turned to gauge Yoshiko's reaction but she didn't expect to see her mouth hanging open. The heir to Void took a moment to straighten out, a hand going to her head. She mumbled something to herself before shaking her head. Was it that surprising? Apparently so.

"You're… the singularity? But why? It doesn't make sense. The Void has long since dropped um… 'hints,' let's say, about a singularity, an abnormality in the future that could change the world. I never would have expected it to be you. And? What else did it say?"

Most of the discussion, if it could even be considered that, centered around her Master. If Yoshiko knew about the autumn blade, then she thought it was pretty likely that she already knew the history of demon slayers well enough. And the history of the Four Seasons.

"Just some… stuff. I guess I got a little heated towards the end."

"Is that why you struck the Void?" Honoka looked up in surprise. Of course she would know about that part. Why would the Void _not_ tell her? "It's fine. I'm not upset or anything. It's not like we demon slayers are capable of killing the Void anyways. Though…" Yoshiko frowned as if debating whether or not to continue. "Well, it may not be important right now. We'll see. You may have… caused some damage. The Void requests that you refrain from using that blade while in the Underworld."

"Eh? Why?"

"I need not remind you that our blades are something akin to ancient weaponry. To all but the styles themselves, they are still mysteries, they still have properties that you can only learn by using them. Like our blades taking away our life force, for example. A blade like that, one that splits the very fabric of reality when it strikes, should not be used on a lower plane like this. Luckily, you were in the Void when you used it, so the damage… is probably minimal. I'm not quite sure yet. The Void simply told me it would investigate the issue. From what you've said, the Void was unable to foresee this coming due to you being the singularity. I know how dangerous it can be because we of the Void possess a blade with similar properties. So, for the time being, please avoid using it."

Honoka just nodded and let it go at that. When she was in the Void, she thought she understood that blade, but maybe she was wrong. Or maybe she was right on the money, but the effects were far greater than she thought. She figured that she was pushed to use that particular blade because of its ability to 'sever and open.' Whether she took it as severing her connection with the Void or opening a path from the Void back to the Underworld, it made sense to her. And, really, it had worked regardless of if she was correct in her assumption of the blade.

Yoshiko nodded and looked around them. There wasn't much, in fact this area was more barren than the other parts of the Underworld they had travelled through. Instead of varying landscapes, it was completely flat with nothing significant as far as the eye could see.

"Alright. You two, take a rest. You're probably tired from being in the Void, right? I'll commune with the Void and see where we should go from here."

They all agreed to that, Honoka and Hanayo sitting with their backs against each other, the ginger eyeing Void as she stared off into space. Unlike before, there was no darkness, just a blank stare on her face showing that she was looking somewhere far beyond them.

"Maybe I should try to talk to the Four Seasons…" The thought had passed through her mind before when she first saw Yoshiko communing with the Void, but it slipped out this time. She felt Hanayo shift behind her. "What do you think, Hanayo-chan? I don't think they can tell me the future like the Void does with Yoshiko-chan, but maybe they'll tell me something I should know."

"I… think that maybe it's a good idea." Honoka turned a bit see Hanayo already looking at her, a soft smile on her face. "I'm not sure, but… I think they want to talk to you as well. It's almost like they all got a little brighter when you said that, like they're trying to call out."

Honoka turned back and thought about it. How would she even go about this? Aside from the one time at ground zero, she had never really "communed" with any of them before. Autumn had spoken to her in the Void, but so briefly that she wouldn't consider it the same as what Yoshiko did with the Void.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It wouldn't hurt to try, right? Meditation was all about clearing the mind, or so she had heard before. It's not something that she had tried in the past. She concentrated, trying to let the feeling of hearing Autumn surface once again. Hanayo reached around and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze of encouragement and Honoka felt a smile spread across her face. The warmth from that hand spread through her and she felt a slight tugging.

_This is… Hanayo-chan's…_

Maybe it was because of Hanayo-chan's eyes and her sudden ability to see the Four Seasons, but she felt that tugging suddenly, quiet voices filling her head. She returned the squeeze, trying her best to concentrate on the hand and those voices, voices that grew louder with each passing second, voices that she couldn't understand yet. She felt a slight tingling around her neck and reached up, touching the scarf that she had almost forgotten about. It felt like it was vibrating, mana releasing from it in troves, circling around her, embracing her.

And she felt herself being pulled far away.

* * *

_Did I screw up? Should I have finished the job years ago? Was it wrong to run away? Was it wrong to take an heir? No. That choice was not wrong. Honoka is meant to be my heir, I have no doubt about it. I would choose nobody else to inherit the Four Seasons. But…_

Seira stared straight ahead, not sparing a glance at the beasts, the demons straight out of nightmares that jumped at her, that clawed at her. None of them got close. Each one would be left as a pile of gore and blood long before they reached her. She didn't even spare the time to prepare blades for the small fry that surrounded her.

_Back then… If I had killed First, everything would be different. Would I still have met Honoka? I believe I would have. No matter what, I would have been drawn to her to bestow the Four Seasons onto her. Bestow? Is that what these styles are? A blessing?_

"Four Seasons, summer style, 1st blade, Lammas." As a large serpent that she was paying no mind to lunges in her direction, she mumbles her blade, the beast being torn to shreds before reaching her. She didn't even look in its direction, just kept moving forward.

_What do you think, Winter? What do all of the Four Seasons think? Are you proud to be wielded by us? Are you sad? Angry? What? If you truly desire for the destruction of the Demon Lords, then why did you let your masters be controlled by them for so long? Why? Why did Master's master have to die? Why did Master have to risk his life? Why do I find myself back in this place, now fighting for my heir?_

"Four Seasons, autumn style, 2nd blade…" Seira paused, finally looking up, finally acknowledging the horde of demons surrounding her in every direction, clearly just a distraction. The more she thought about them just being a distraction, the angrier she became, the tighter she gripped her Demonbrand. "Falling leaves." In an instant, everything around her was wiped away, blood and gore splattering in every direction, the army of demons turning into piles of corpses in no time. Seira took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing herself to calm. But her anger only returned when she felt it, felt that presence near her, but one she didn't recognize.

"Show yourself. Before I decide to tear down the entire Underworld."

Seira's anger faded to surprise, to confusion, as a girl stepped out of seemingly nowhere, taking calm steps towards her. But it wasn't that she appeared from thin air, it wasn't that she appeared so calm and collected. It was her physical appearance that threw the girl for a spin. The girl stopped a few meters away, giving a deep bow, ash-gray hair obscuring her face, hiding the smile that formed until she stood straight, staring right into the eyes of the Master of the Four Seasons.

"You're…"

"Even though I went through the trouble of preparing so many things for you, you end up in the Underworld instead of entertaining my offer? That's rude, Four Seasons." The girl mock pouted, but her smile returned when she noticed the girl's confusion. "Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself properly when you introduced yourself to us, did I? I'm Honoka-chan's best friend, Minami Kotori. Just Kotori is fine. Or well…" She put a finger to her chin in mock thought.

Seira's brain was working overtime to process just what was going on. Invited? What was she talking about? When she had seen this girl in that café with Honoka and the rest of their friends, she sensed nothing. No aura above that of a normal human, no hostile intentions, nothing. Even Maki, who had no demon blood in her and hadn't practiced swordsmanship for so long, still exuded an aura that showed her capability. She even felt some strange aura from that purple haired girl but sensed no ill intentions so didn't question it. Why had she sensed nothing from this girl? This girl who somehow made her way to the Underworld? Seira felt herself suddenly sweating and she tightened her grip on her katana again as she stared into the girl eyes, Kotori finally perking back up out of her thoughts.

Then everything clicked suddenly as she stared into those eyes. For some reason, everything made sense to her. Seira knew exactly who this girl was, and that knowledge sent a cold sweat down her back. She could feel a warning, a warning from the Four Seasons, that this girl was dangerous. And, given who she was, that was hardly surprising. Kotori opened her mouth to speak and Seira shifted into a defensive stance. And her words confirmed Seira's fears.

"If you'd like, you can just call me Pestilence."

* * *

**Just throwing some curveballs left and right.**

**Unlike other stories, I avoided doing things like dropping hints about characters really. I think it's fun to just be hit with a shock instead of an, "Ah, looking back on it, it should have been obvious," or something like that. Well, now you know.**

**I hope you all enjoyed. I just wasted a bunch of money buying all the School Idol Diary books.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	35. Underworld V

**Continuing from last time!**

**So, after this chapter, we'll probably be taking a short break from the Underworld crew. Either starting with this chapter or the one after. I'll have to see which order I want to post them in. I'm leaning towards the next chapter also being an Underworld chapter, but we'll see.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

Seira felt a thick lump in her throat but when she swallowed, it stayed. The cold sweat dripping down her neck did nothing to ease her shock. Out of everything that could have come her way, this was the last thing she expected. Honoka had spoken fondly of Kotori in the past during her training, naming her as one of her two best friends along with Sonoda Umi. But now… all this time… time?

"You… How long?" Seira took a step forward, feeling anger replace her confusion, threatening to burst forth in the form of a strike to kill the girl. The only thing that held her back was the knowledge that Honoka considered this girl a friend.

"Hm?" Kotori tilted her head with a sickeningly innocent look of confusion.

"How long have you been lying to Honoka? How long have you pretended to be a human?"

"Pretended? Ahaha." Kotori let out a laugh, a little too genuine for Seira to consider it some evil masterminds. "I think you're misunderstanding something here, Four Seasons. I am, in almost every way, a perfectly ordinary human. Honestly, I thought I wouldn't even be able to survive in the Underworld, but it turns out that the Underworld… remembers me." Kotori holds up her hand and examines it as if something's wrong with it. "Strange, isn't it? Even my soul is truly human now… well, for the most part. I guess there are some abnormal things with it, but hey, nobody's perfect, right?"

The smile she gives Seira makes her want to puke. Seira still has no idea what's going on and she doesn't have time to waste here. If she can't make it to Honoka before she encounters the First Demon Lord… Well, she doesn't really want to think about that. And yet, out of everything that could happen, _Pestilence_ shows up in front of her, acting all cutesy and innocent. And to top it off, she's one of her heir's best friends.

"Ah, I guess I didn't really answer you though, right? Since I'm a human now, I don't think I lied. I've genuinely enjoyed being Honoka-chan's friend for years. Of course… I had to lie a little. I had to pretend like I didn't know about any of this demon business, even when she became a demon slayer. I had to play the role of the innocent, ignorant friend, crying on her shoulder in both relief and worry. I don't like lying to Honoka-chan, but it was necessary. What would she say if I told her who I am? Would she accept me? Would she try to kill me? Would I even fight back if she did?"

Kotori shook her head and for a second, Seira actually felt a small tinge of sympathy. If what she was saying was true, then she was probably the most troubled of their group when Honoka became a demon slayer. And, if this girl really is Pestilence, then she knows the history of the Four Seasons which would give her all the more reason to worry. It's no wonder she showed up in the Underworld when Honoka was down there.

"I'll believe that for now. What are you doing here then?"

"Well, waiting for you two to come to my dinner party would have been boring if you both died here in the Underworld." Another sickeningly sweet smile. "Besides, like I said, Honoka-chan is my friend. And you're her Master, so you care about her, right? Why else would you be down here?"

Of course Seira cared. Of course she did but she'll be damned if she was going to spill her feelings to some ancient demon that takes on the form of a young girl and tricks her heir.

"Well, I had planned on revealing everything when you two came, but it looks like things don't always work out, huh? So, this is plan B. This would inevitably have been our destination anyways so it's fine. Afterall, you want to kill First, right? You don't want to worry about your precious heir any longer, right? About what would happen if First reclaimed the line of the Four Seasons…"

Seira frowned but Kotori continued, starting to pace around her in a slow circle.

"Honoka-chan definitely surrounded herself with interesting people, huh? Ah, maybe you don't know yet? Hmmm, should I spoil it? Ah, I just won't tell you who's who, that's fair right?" Kotori asked with a giggle and just bursts into laughter when Seira just snorts in response. "Come on, Four Seasons, lighten up. Let's see, who is around Honoka-chan? She brought us together after all, so it's only fair to call it her group. We have yours truly," she gave a mocking bow. "the Prince of Blades," Seira raised her eyebrows at that one. "the Oracle, the Witness, the heir to the Moon and…" Kotori paused as a smirk came to her. "You don't know the current situation with Umi-chan, so it would be oh so rude of me to spoil it."

"You piece of…" Seira started… or tried to. Nothing came out. No, it's not that nothing came out, it's that she couldn't speak.

Kotori slowly walked over to her and she tried to draw her sword, but her body wouldn't obey her. A lighthearted giggle from the girl reaches her ears as she moves behind her, out of her vision and a hand gently lands on her shoulder. A small voice whispered into her ear.

"Now, there's no need to get so aggressive, is there? I planned on helping Honoka-chan from the beginning, so why be so mean to me? It really hurts, you know." The mock pain in her voice would have set Seira off if she could move. "You're so tense. You know, I could take care of that for you. You don't want to be like this, right? What if I tear the demon blood out of you? What if I told you that you could go back to living like an ordinary human? Like I have been for so long. Hm?"

_Human…? After all this time… go back to being human? Abandon the Four Seasons? Abandon… Honoka?_

"No…" She's surprised to find her mouth able to move but all she can do is stare ahead as she speaks. "I won't abandon Honoka. No matter what. And I never said I have the desire to live normally anymore. I let go of that long ago."

"Ahaha! That's what I wanted to hear!" Kotori jumped out in front of her and Seira fell forward a bit as whatever was holding her body in place was released. She immediately drew her sword and slashed out, an incredibly quick strike but Kotori just lifted her hand and the blade stopped as soon as it touched the back of her hand.

"That doesn't look like something a _human_ should be able to do, Pestilence." Seira drew her sword back but dove straight back in. "Four Seasons, summer style, 1st blade, Lammas." As her blade drew near, time slowed, just briefly, and she watched as Kotori moved away and around her, but she couldn't adjust her blade and missed completely. "Four Seasons, spring style, 4th blade." Instead of correcting her blade and striking out behind her, Seira continued forward, turning her blade so that the flat was parallel with the ground and swung it in a slow arc before guiding it back to the sheath. "Akitum."

She turned her head to see the surprised look on Kotori's face as her head slowly tilted before falling off her neck, her body collapsing next to it. Seira was a little surprised to see red blood spewing out, as opposed to the disgusting black blood of demons that she was used to. This girl had claimed to be a human though… But, as she had expected, the girl was far from dead and the blood slowly seeped back into the neck before the head moved closer, reattaching itself, the surprised look once again replaced with the calm smile.

"That was mean, Seira-chan…" Kotori said with that same mock pain that pissed her off so much, the girl getting back on her feet and dusting herself off. "I'll admit though, that was quite an impressive blade. You even managed to catch me off guard. Go on, celebrate!"

"Four seasons, summer style, 2nd blade." Seira turned around, bringing her sword back in close before launching dozens of strikes out at the girl. "Perse—" Before she can even get the name of the blade out, Kotori, who had dodged many of the individual strikes, reached out and grabbed the sword mid-strike. She yanked the sword and Seira forward, grabbing the girl's free hand when she was close and holding it in the air. Seira struggled to free her hand, but Kotori's grip was far too strong, stronger than even a demon should possess. Kotori leaned in close, too close, and smiled gently. "We have the same goal, right? Protecting Honoka-chan. If you're mean to me, I might just have to _cut you out_ of this plan." Seira started to feel an unnatural cold seeping into her hands, travelling down her arms, collecting around her chest but not quite reaching her heart. "You know, I really don't like being called 'Pestilence' after all. I'd like you to call me 'Kotori.'"

"You damn… Ugh!" Seira's cut off as the grip tightens and she felt that cold crawling towards her heart, her chest seizing in pain. She looked up into the blank eyes of the girl holding her. Those blank eyes, that smile that seemed so inappropriate given the situation, the cold hands that spread a deeper cold through her body, all of it together with the soft, much too soft, voice that reached out sent a shiver down Seira's spine.

"Ko. To. Ri."

A swirling nausea began in Seira's stomach and the pain in her chest worsened. Her head suddenly felt hot, then cold, then hot again. She felt her vision blurring, she felt like she was on the verge of blacking out. She opened her now dry mouth and reluctantly spoke.

"… Kotori…"

"Ah, that's better!" Kotori released her and let her fall back. Everything in Seira's body immediately returned to normal, her head, her vision, her chest, it happened so quickly she wasn't so sure she hadn't just imagined it. She quickly stood and moved into a defensive position. "Don't bother. I'm not afraid of you, Four Seasons. I have survived countless years alone, defending myself from both Demon Lords and demon slayers alike. I may be a human now, but I can still defend myself just fine." She tilted her head when Seira didn't relax. "Don't worry. Don't worry. I removed all of those pathogens I was putting in your body. You're fine!"

The fact that there even _were_ pathogens that needed removing made Seira tense up. That must have been related to that strange cold feeling in her chest. Well, she is Pestilence after all, Seira figured. She finally loosened her stance. If Pestilence really wanted to kill her, she would have already. Which meant that she's most likely telling the truth about wanting to help Honoka. Did this ancient demon really think of Honoka as a friend?

Seira took a deep breath and shook her head, clearing her thoughts, trying to push this situation further finally. "So? What, exactly, is your plan? I imagine it's changed from whatever it was, but you were planning on bringing us down here eventually anyways, right?"

"Mm! Mm! You're much cuter when you're obedient, Seira-chan! Now, let's talk about Honoka-chan."

* * *

Honoka opened her eyes slowly. She should probably be used to the feeling of waking up in some strange space, but it always felt strange, as if she shouldn't be there. She felt that in the Void and still felt it even in this space, this pure white space, the exact opposite of how the Void looked to her. But it felt just as empty as the Void, the emptiness seemed to stretch on forever.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" She called out and her voice echoed off nothing, bouncing around and disappearing into the distance.

"Hm? Hmhmhm?" A soft voice, very familiar, reached her ears and she turned around slowly to see that blonde hair, but… it was different. Even though she recognized it, she knew that it was different. Different than what? She thought about this for a second but she knew what she was looking at. "Honoka!"

A figure… no, Honoka recognized her. She both recognized who she looked like and who she knew the girl really was. But the name of her friend still slipped out of her mouth.

"Eli-chan…?"

The girl pulled away, her hands still resting on Honoka's shoulders and she tilted her head, the kind smile of her old senpai looking at her, blue eyes questioning. But she smirked and shook her head.

"Come on, don't mess with me like that, Honoka! You know me, right? You can feel it. You should be able to feel me."

Honoka nodded slowly. She definitely knew who this girl was despite her appearance. "Autumn… right?" An energetic nod from the girl. "Um… why do you look like Eli-chan?" The girl laughed and finally separated from the ginger.

"That's right! I'm Autumn! Your precious season!" She spun around on one foot, landing back in place facing Honoka. "Ah, appearance. Your heart just gave me this appearance! I can't really say why, but your friend is cute, so I don't mind! I'm sorry to say, but I don't really have an actual look… I'm just Autumn. Nothing less. Nothing more. Just Autumn." She tapped one foot on the ground and Honoka heard a crunch. She looked down and noticed red and orange leaves had appeared under their feet and all around them.

"This…"

"It should help you relax. You've accepted it after all, right? Accepted me…" Eli… or Autumn, rather, held out her hand, a kind smile on that felt new even though Honoka had seen it on her senpai countless times. "You wanted to come here, right? Really, you… shouldn't be able to. We're not the Void, we don't um… _directly_ contact our heirs or masters usually. But…" Autumn walked up to her and gently lifted one end of the red scarf. "Really… just what did Ryoma-chan make? That man was always full of surprises."

The red fabric suddenly felt like it was vibrating around her neck and it moved on its own out of Autumn's hand. She stared at it in confusion for a second but just shrugged.

"Well, don't take that off while you're here. I'm not exactly sure how Ryoma-chan did it, but he was able to connect you to me. I'm sure you won't be able to come back here if you take it off. But even so…" Her eyes drifted to the scarf again. "I don't think we have a lot of time. So," She snapped her fingers and a plain white circular table appeared between them with a chair on both sides. Autumn sat down in one and motioned to the other. "have a seat, Honoka. Let's talk."

Honoka found herself taking the seat without hesitation and when she thought about it, she knew that she wasn't feeling uneasy in the least about the situation. She had wanted to see the Four Seasons, after all. And, just like before when she had struck the Void, she felt trust. But it wasn't trust born from years of partnership, it was like that trust was a fundamental part of who Honoka was. Even if she wanted to hate this girl or distrust her, it was impossible.

"That's good. That's good." Autumn said, nodding.

"Eh?" Honoka puffed out her cheeks in mock pout. "You can hear my thoughts, can't you?"

"Who knows~?"

Honoka smiled. Playing around with this girl felt so natural, so right. Maybe it was because she looked like Eli, but Honoka didn't think so. She knew it was something more than that, it was something deeper, a deeper relationship than she could ever hope to form with anybody else. She relaxed. It was like she knew everything she needed to already, like there were no doubts she had to harbor in this place. And there probably weren't any.

"So, let's talk quickly. Unfortunately, I can already feel the connection wavering. Though it's amazing that Ryoma-chan could make something like this, this will be the only chance we have. So let's make sure we make it worth your while, Honoka. Ah, there's a lot going on now, isn't there?"

_I have so many questions… but something that Autumn can tell me… something that the Four Seasons know._

"I… need you to tell me what really happened." Honoka finally spoke up again. "I need to know what my Master hasn't told me. I… need to know if what the Void said is true." Autumn was already nodding before she even finished.

"That's a good starting spot. Well… I'll start from the beginning then. Long, long ago…"

"Eh, um… you said we don't have much time, so I'm not sure that's…"

"Ahaha! You're right, you're right. Let's talk a bit of history still though. It's something you should know, regardless of if Seira-chan decides to tell you. Do you know why you can use us?"

"You mean, why we use the styles? It's because of Sixth, right?"

"Mm… yes. Kind of. Sixth was the one who truly brought us out in the form of sword styles, who let us be harnessed by humans. However, it was First himself that allowed it. Ground zero… is what demon slayers call it, right? The birthplace of First? Of course he wasn't actually 'born' there, it's simply the spot he appeared when he first came to our world from the Underworld. The amount of mana he released into the world when he came… was unlike anything the world could have foreseen. Sixth had a similar burst of mana, but not on the same scale. You've surely heard it yourself, right? Or maybe not. Sixth 'created' the styles, in part to sustain his own life in our world by killing humans. That's why Void and Autumn take your life force. If you were killing humans with them… then you would take much more than you would use.

Anyways, I'm getting a little sidetracked. The mana released by Sixth entering our world cracked the barrier than made it possible for us to… contact with you. But when First appeared, he shattered that barrier. That resulted in the birth of all of the styles across the world. It allowed Sixth to fully give his 'gift' to humans, the ability to produce Demonbrands, to harness styles without his direct influence.

Ah, we really are running short on time. To keep this next part short, we don't decide what our masters and heirs do. Yes, many masters of the Four Seasons worked under the Demon Lords, against humans. And yes, Kyo… Ryoma-chan's master and Ryoma-chan himself broke our line from that. But… Seira-chan was upset with that. Seira-chan has potent demon blood in her, the blood of Sixth, just as Void told you. She sought to end everything... and so she returned to the Underworld to face First but failed to kill him. She wanted to permanently sever the link between him and the F-Four… Seasons."

Autumn started to shift and vanished for a second before returning. Honoka looked down at her hands and saw that she too was fading in and out, slowly, but it was happening. That meant…

"Looks l-like our time is c-coming to an end. I-I must… tell you, H-Honoka."

"Autumn! I…!" Honoka struggled to think of something to say, anything, but she realized maybe there was nothing. What had she come there in the first place for? Why did she wanted to meet with the Four Seasons? What did she want to find out? She thought back to what the Void had told her and she swallowed. "I… Do I really have a role to play in this? Is this all just some game that somebody thought up? What… What am I supposed to do!?"

Autumn laughed lightly, a laugh that faded and came back with vigor before fading again.

"Honoka… T-There are man beings who h-have orchestrated this g-game. Though I would never b-bet your life on… o-on a game. This is life… and this is y-your time… to shine." The image of Eli slowly began to fade until Honoka could see right through her. "I-I must tell you… I need you to tell… Void. To tell the Prince… To tell… Pestilence."

Honoka's eyes widened at that last name and she stood.

"P-Pestilence!? What…?"

"You… w-will know soon." Autumn's voice began distorting, rising in volume before drastically lowering, cracking and changing constantly. "B-But… there is something… o-only we know. Y-You must… tell them… tell Seira-chan. H-Honoka, you w-will be… the harbinger o-of the end… the e-end of an era… the e-end of demons. Tell them… t-tell them clearly…"

A static started to fill the air, to fill Honoka's ears and she wanted to cover them but she knew she had to hear Autumn. She saw her mouth moving, but nothing was coming out and Autumn looked concerned. But a small smile broke out on her face and she nodded. And Honoka understood. They had run out of time. She felt the scarf vibrating frantically around her neck as if the fabric itself was warning her that it was time. She looked up into the blue eyes of Eli… of Autumn one more time. She saw her lips moving and swallowed. This time… this time, she heard her words clear as day. Just as everything burst into a bright light and she felt herself being dragged out of there, she heard the voice of her senpai, the voice of Autumn.

"The First Demon Lord… is dead."

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed!**

**Like I said, either starting with next chapter or the one after, we'll be taking a short break from the Underworld crew.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	36. Underworld VI

**Alright, so, as said before, this will be the last chapter taking place in the Underworld for the next few chapters. I might make an exception for a chapter about Chika, but we'll see. We'll be going back to the surface gang!**

**Also, I'm aware this is a slightly shorter chapter, but that's because I wanted to get it out before going back to the surface characters.**

* * *

Honoka blinked. She was definitely back in the Underworld. Yoshiko was still staring off into the distance. She could still feel Hanayo behind her, her partner still holding onto her hand. Even though she was aware of being back, she stayed perfectly still, her mind frozen for the first few seconds of her return until it launched into what their situation now was.

The First Demon Lord was dead. Was he? Was he really? Autumn had said so herself. And Honoka had no reason to doubt her. But… how? Honoka sucked in her breath as her brain continued down that line of thought.

How did Autumn know? She wasn't the Void, she couldn't just… know things. The void was capable of finding out almost anything it wanted to know with no effort. However, the other styles, as far as anybody was aware, couldn't do the same. That was something like Void's special trait, why it stood out among the other styles. So how? How did Autumn know? How did the Four Seasons know? If they knew, someone related to the Four Seasons had to know. But who?

Had Ryoma and his master killed First when they faced him and Second? No. Unless Void had lied to her, Seira had gone to the Underworld to fight First herself. Had Seira killed him? According to Void, First had needed to recover after the fight, but he shouldn't have died. Could he have died from the injuries anyways? After Seira left? But wouldn't Void know that already? Honoka regretted the fact that she didn't have enough time to ask Autumn more. She just wanted to know how long. How long had the First Demon Lord been dead?

It's possible that he died sometime between Seira injuring him and the current day, but again, wouldn't Void know that already? Unless Void was keeping it a secret which really wouldn't surprise her. But in that case was it also being kept secret from Yoshiko? Hell, did the Master of Void even know? Was the Void not even informing them?

Nothing made sense. For now, she would assume that even the Void didn't know for some reason. It was possible after all. Regardless of if Void knew, the Four Seasons did. Which meant she wasn't the first to learn about First's death. But… she could find no reason not to rule out Ryoma, his master, and Seira. Even if only one of them knew at the time it happened, they would have passed that information down the line of the Four Seasons even if they didn't report it to HQ.

"What… What's going on...?" Honoka mumbled, low enough that she thought neither would hear her. And she was right about Yoshiko who was still in a trance, but not her partner who she felt shift at her words. Hanayo turned to face her.

"Are you done, Honoka-chan?" Concern dotted Hanayo's words and Honoka glanced back at her before looking over to Yoshiko and sighing.

"Yeah, but we should wait for Yoshiko-chan to finish before talking. It'll be more like an exchange of information anyways." Hanayo nodded slowly.

As if on cue, Yoshiko staggered for a second before catching herself. Her breathing was labored and her knees shaky, even more so than the last time Honoka had seen her commune with the Void. She looked over to them and took a second to catch her breath before making her way over to them.

"I apologize. That took longer than expected." Her eyes kept drifting to the ground or the side, she was obviously avoiding eye contact with either of them as she spoke.

"Um… is something wrong, Yoshiko-chan?" If she had to describe it, it was almost like… fear? No, not quite. But she definitely looked torn over something. Despite how obvious it was, she just shook her head.

"Nothing." She cleared her throat. "I've communed with the Void. I've learned a decent amount. Let's start with something that should have been an obvious question. Why have we encountered so few demons since arriving here, the very birthplace of demons?" She waited for an answer than neither of them could provide. "It's because of where in the Underworld we are. We're very close to the centre, the domain of the Demon Lords. Well, in terms of region, we are already in the centre, but not the _true_ centre. The true centre being where the Demon Lords reside. We're nearing there but, according to the Void, we won't be able to see it until we're actually there."

Honoka remained silent, wondering if she should tell her about what she had heard. It was obvious that she should, right? But what if Yoshiko knew already? What if the Void had told her and she hadn't told them? And something was definitely troubling her from that meeting with the Void that she wasn't telling them. Too many things were wrong with their situation and Honoka couldn't connect all the pieces.

"And… What did it say, Yoshiko-chan? What's waiting for us there?"

Yoshiko's eyes snapped from the ground to the ginger in an instant, scanning her face. In Honoka's eyes, it felt like she was silently asking, "Does she know?" Hanayo glanced between the two nervously. Before it got too intense, Yoshiko looked away.

"I'm… not sure. Most likely just First. We have to be prepared for whatever may come though." She nodded and seemed to regain enough confidence to look at the two. "So, that's where we're at. When we get close enough, we should be able to sense the barrier that surrounds the true centre. Because we have demon blood inside of us, we should be able to entre with no problems."

Honoka wanted to tell her. After all, Autumn explicitly told her to tell Void. But… she found herself hesitating, wondering if she should. What was Yoshiko not telling her? The Four Seasons would have no way of knowing what Void knows. So, if they already knew…

Honoka took a deep breath and let it slowly, drawing the eyes of both Void and Hanayo to her with questioning looks. She shook her head and looked away for a second, one last internal debate, but she knew if they were going to beat… whatever awaited them at this "true centre" and go home, they would have to share information. She would just have to trust that whatever Yoshiko was hiding from her was something private, something that didn't involve them or this situation at all.

"First isn't waiting for us." She watched Yoshiko from the corner of her vision and noted the girl's surprise.

"W-What? What are you…?"

"Autumn told me. The First Demon Lord is already dead. I… I don't know who was controlling Seventh, but it wasn't First. She didn't tell me what's waiting for us but… she said that I needed to tell you that."

Yoshiko looked away, bringing a hand to her face in thought. She was mumbling something that the two couldn't quite catch but, at the least, Honoka figured she hadn't known about First from her reaction. She felt herself relaxing as she watched Void deep in thought for a bit before she snapped out of it and turned back to the two girls.

"If that's true… then we definitely must exercise the utmost caution. We were already headed into some unknown territory but now we don't even know who we're up against." She sighed deeply. "Definitely not what we needed. Tch. This just became even more of a pain in the ass. Well, some unknown factors are to be expected. But… at the least, the theory of killing First to end all demons seems to be out the window. I'm sure HQ will be just delighted to hear about this."

"Um… Yoshiko-chan, there's one more thing. Do you have a way to contact people outside of the Underworld through the Void?"

Yoshiko thought for a second then nodded. "It's quite strenuous. And it won't be for long, but it's possible. Unfortunately, I'm not skilled enough to transport our bodies out, but communication should be possible. Who do you wish to contact?"

Honoka thought back to their earlier discussion, about the girl Hanayo had met, about what she called them. If Nico really was… "The Prince of Blades." Honoka nodded to herself. "Yazawa Nico-chan."

Yoshiko held out her hand and the ginger just stared at it in confusion. "Photo. You have to have an old photo or something of her, right? Without that, it's impossible. This isn't magic, I can't just say a name and suddenly contact them. It doesn't work that way. And, even with a photo, I'll have to implore the Void to reach out."

Entrusting the Void itself to do… well, anything, felt wrong to Honoka, but she knew she needed its help this time. If Autumn wanted Nico to know, there was probably a good reason for it. She fished out her cellphone and was glad to see that it hadn't run out of energy in their unknown amount of time there. She went through her photos and pulled out an old one of all of nine of them in some outfits Kotori had made. She smiled at it before shaking her head and handing the cellphone over to Yoshiko, pointing out Nico.

"Hmph. Very well." She handed the cellphone back and took a deep breath. "I'm just exhausting myself so much lately. I never truly thought I would have to use these abilities. Normally it wouldn't be hard to establish long distance communication, but… when you're going between worlds… Let's just say I've never tried it before. I've discussed the possibility with my Master and the Void before and they both confirmed that it is possible. So… I'll reach out."

Yoshiko closed and began mumbling. She summoned her katana to her side and drew it slowly, turning and pointing it in front of her. There was a long pause, Yoshiko saying nothing and barely moving. Honoka and Hanayo stood to the side but Hanayo noticed that the ginger had stepped up a bit, an arm slightly in front of Hanayo as if she was expecting Void to strike out at her. She was afraid of breaking Yoshiko's concentration, so she didn't say anything but took a slight step back.

Hanayo looked back at Yoshiko and saw the ever-looming darkness of the Void shifting around the girl, swirling in what she could only assume was agitation. It's not like she could see how the Void was feeling though. The darkness gathered around Yoshiko's sword, slowly concentrating around the blade. It almost hurt for Hanayo to look at it. It almost felt as if… it was looking back at her, watching her, judging her. She was tempted to speak out to it, but she held herself back. For some reason, speaking to it felt like it would only end terribly for her.

She looked to her partner instead and felt herself falling back a little more. This time she _could_ feel emotions and those were definitely negative. Red leaves shuffled around Honoka's feet violently, rising and falling as if wind was blowing through them. There was agitation, worry… It was unsettling. As the darkness gathered, the leaves continued to rustle until finally, the last of that darkness was around the blade.

Both of the girls sucked in their breath as Yoshiko made a quick slash in front of her, swinging her katana back into its sheath, all in one fluid motion. The slash left behind, just like before, a mass of darkness, a fragment of the Void, no larger than one of them. Sweat trickled down Yoshiko's neck and arms and she plopped herself onto the ground, taking deep breaths.

"Don't… worry about me. I've… just been exhausting myself… too much." She let herself catch her breath before continuing but she was clearly still worn out from the endeavor. She motioned towards the darkness. "Get close and speak into it. But don't touch it and don't try to entre it. Call out to your friend. She'll hear you no matter where she is. Once she hears you, the Void will appear for her as well. Warn her of the same though… if she truly is the Prince of Blades, she would never touch the Void in a million years."

Honoka nodded and cautiously approached the mass of darkness. She swallowed hard, sweat beginning to drip down her back. She was more anxious about this than when she had been ordered to entre the Void. Though, given her experience inside the Void, she figured it was justified. She glanced once at Hanayo who nodded and then to Yoshiko who shot her a questioning glance before nodding herself. Honoka steeled herself and stepped even close until she was sure the Void could suck her in if it wanted to. And the last thing she wanted was to have another face to face meeting with Kanan. She took one deep breath and called out.

"Nico?"

* * *

**Well, a lot of stuff is going on, huh? I know this isn't the most popular story or anything, but I'm grateful to all of you who continue to read. I hope I won't disappoint you with the upcoming chapters leading to the end.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	37. Yuuki Setsuna II

**Another chapter, pretty quickly, huh? This one just kind of flowed out so I figured why wait?**

**Anyways, enjoy**

* * *

"Eh? I thought you said we already had everyone here, Void. What is it now?" Nico tapped her foot impatiently, so ready to just cut up the illusion of Void again even though she knew it wouldn't do anything. But anything to wipe that godforsaken smirk off the girl's face.

"My, some patience, Prince." She turned to regard the entire group, and what a group they were when she thought about it. The Master of Void, the Prince of Blades, the heir to the Devouring Sword, a girl with the Sixth Demon Lord inside of her, and the partner of the heir to the Sun. "Our merry band needs one more person, whether you like it or not." Her gaze drifted between Umi and Nico. "You two seem best fit to explain the situation to her.

Nico groaned, knowing where this was going.

"Don't tell me… Maki?"

Erena nodded. "Well, it's not as if the heir to the Moon herself is required, but her estate is. After all, that's where we can find the true body of the First Demon Lord. Only when his true body and false body are destroyed will he truly die."

_Origin?_

_**I am here.**_

_I understand the situation surrounding First and the line of the Four Seasons but... I don't understand why this is happening now. Digging through your memories hasn't helped me understand either. Why does First want to reclaim them? I can see that even you have your concerns and doubts. If he really does just want Honoka and not the Four Seasons… what do you think?_

_**Yes, that is my fear. Kousaka Honoka is special. The blood that flows through her veins, given to her by none other than the Fourth Demon Lord. I fear that the very fact that Fourth chose her is why First is after her. Unfortunately, I have not had contact with the other Demon Lords in a very long time, so I have no way of knowing their plans. However… It is just a feeling.**_

_But even so, doesn't something feel… off? I'm asking, but I know you think so as well. Something isn't right. It shouldn't be this easy. Did First underestimate the Void? If he knew that the Void could find his body in an instant, then he had to have known that his plan could fall apart._

_**I am not quite sure. First has always been… reckless may be a good word. Though I am sure he has thought of the possibility of Void finding him, I am not quite sure what kind of plan he could possibly use to counter it. Unless this was all a big gamble on his part, which I highly doubt.**_

Her thoughts were interrupted when the group continued walking and Origin began to speak through her to Void.

"**Void, are you sure about this? I do not doubt the Void's ability to lay its eyes upon wherever it sees fit, but I must ask. Do you truly believe the First Demon Lord's body is hidden in the Nishikino manor?**"

"Ahaha. Please, do not hesitate to question the Void if that is truly how you feel. Regardless of any doubts you may have though, I am sure. I have already gazed upon it through the Void. I've seen the body myself and we will get to it with little problem, ideally. All that stands in our way is the heir to the Moon. But I believe she will help us, especially after hearing about her mother."

The group collectively raised their eyebrows at that remark.

"What are you talking about, Void?" Nico spoke up with that same venom still dripping.

"Ah, you must not be aware. My apologies for not explaining earlier. Nishikino Maki's mother, one of the Heads, has been taken hostage by the First Demon Lord. Her essence was used to cover the reanimated remains of Seventh who was used to drag Four Seasons, Sun, my heir, and the partner of Four Seasons to the Underworld."

"**That is somewhat concerning to me. If First has reanimated the body of Seventh, then he has no reason to keep his true body here any longer. He had regained the ability to travel between the Underworld and this world freely.**"

"I have my doubts about that, Sixth. In Seventh's time, he was only able to allow one Demon Lord passage at a time. It was extremely strenuous on him to let such powerful beings travel between worlds. I think it's definitely possible that the remains of Seventh are too weak to allow a Demon Lord to pass through." Umi raised an eyebrow questioningly, but Erena just waved it off. "I have gazed into the past just as much, if not more, than I have gazed into the future. I have observed the Demon Lords during their time… including you, Sixth."

"**If you are insinuating anything, I have nothing to hide. I have already shared all I know with Sonoda Umi.**"

Erena just laughed and turned away. The rest of the walk was in silence, other than the occasional noises of excitement from Setsuna who was practically bouncing up and down the entire walk as if anticipating a fight at any second. She definitely looked ready at least. When they finally reached their destination, the gate that Maki's mansion laid behind, Erena stopped and turned to the bouncing girl.

"Tell me, Devour. What do you smell?"

"Eh?" Setsuna looked around as all eyes fell on her, most in curiosity, but Erena just nodded when she looked her way. Devour closed her eyes and took in a deep breath through her nose, trying to build an image of her surroundings just as she did when fighting demons. Everything slowly built up around her but… she paused as her nose picked up an odd scent. It was familiar but wrong. "This…"

"Do you smell it? First's body."

"I do but…" Setsuna opened eyes just a bit and squinted at the mansion. "It's… stale." Everyone, including Erena, gave a collective sound of confusion. "Something's wrong, Void." Setsuna's Demonbrand suddenly appeared in her hand and in one swift motion she cut the gate in half, kicking the bottom portion and letting it fly back onto the pavement. "Wrong… wrong…!" She started walking forward slowly, letting her katana drag on the pavement.

"D-Devour?" Nico started to move forward to reach for her but was stopped by Erena's laugh. She turned her now angry gaze back on Void. "What the fuck is the meaning of this, Void? What's going on with her?"

"What are you talking about? I did nothing to her. I'm merely taking advantage of her training. I'm glad to see the Master of the Devouring Sword saw it fit to pass down their secret."

"Secret?"

Setsuna suddenly dropped to all fours and took in a large breath through her nose and her eyes opened wide once again. Her entire body tensed, and her fingers dug into the pavement, making the others flinch at the sound. Her breathing picked up and she opened her mouth but what came out sounded like an inhuman growl.

"Devour was well aware that this could… well, that this would happen. Long has the Devouring Sword sought the head of a Demon Lord. And it has passed down its hunger to its descendants. They always tend to be hyper and reckless, those of the Devouring Sword. And now we get to see it in action. Now that she has smelled a Demon Lord, there's no stopping her."

Setsuna finally stood upright once again, grabbing her katana. She seemed unsteady on her feet, moving back and forth before she bent over, holding her sword close to her side. "Devour style, 4th blade."

"Devour! Stop!" Nico tried to protest but it was too late.

"Vicious pursuit."

The ground under Setsuna cracked and gave way as she burst forward, tearing through anything in her way as she approached the mansion. And even the building itself failed to stop her as she crashed through the door, not even bothering to draw her katana to slice it down. The group raced to catch up to her, Nico grabbing her sword from her shinai bag and cursing under her breath, Erena laughing the whole way.

"What's going on, Origin!?" Umi yelled out loud.

"**The Devouring Sword relentlessly chases down anything it deems as an enemy. In the case of its masters and heirs… its thirst for the blood of a Demon Lord has been inherited by its successors. They accept this when they inherit it, but… They can hardly control themselves. Think not of that girl as the heir right now, but the Devouring Sword itself.**"

"Oh, well that's just fucking _great_!" Nico yelled as they reached the destroyed doorway. Anything that was to the side of Setsuna's path had fared pretty well, but the path she took was obvious from the destroyed tile and shards and pieces of various objects all around. "If that stupid brat lays a finger on Maki…"

As if Nico's words gave form to her back luck, they heard a scream, no not a scream, a roar from the Devouring Sword, a bloodcurdling sound that sent shivers down the spines of all present. They raced towards the sound, following the path of destruction until they came out into the living room. Couches lay in halves, a large TV was shattered on the ground, walls were scratched to all hell and back. In the centre of the room, Maki stood with her blade drawn, barely managing to hold back a Setsuna who was pushing against her with her own blade.

"Where!? Where are you hiding him, Moon!?" Setsuna screamed at the top of her lungs, Maki flinching from the voice but holding her ground.

"What the hell do you want!?" Maki finally snapped and shifted her sword slightly. "Moon style, 7th blade, Supermoon." Though she did her best to avoid anything fatal, blood spurted from multiple cuts all around Setsuna's body but if she felt it, she didn't show it.

"The Demon Lord! Where is he!? I smell him! I smell it everywhere!" Setsuna finally overpowered the girl and shoved her back, Maki slamming into the far wall with a grunt. As Devour moved forward though, Nico stepped between the two, katana at her side, blank stare burning into the girl.

"If you try to step past me, I'll kill you, Devour. Back down. Maki doesn't know what's going on."

Despite all of them believing that the girl had lost control, Setsuna seemed cautious of Nico. She was definitely still able to gauge a person's ability even in that state. She backed up a step but kept her katana drawn.

"Prince…!" She let out that growl again and narrowed her eyes. "I'm not afraid of you, Prince. Don't stand in my way!"

The tiles around Setsuna burst into the air as they were sliced to bits, an almost perfect circle carved into the ground around her feet, cuts travelling along the floor from Devour back to Nico. A drop of sweat fell from Setsuna's chin and audibly hit the ground in the silence that followed. If she was going to draw her blade on Nico, that flipped in an instant.

"I said. Back. Off." Nobody had seen Nico draw her sword and all but Erena released a breath they were holding when the girl finally spoke.

The silence and tension grew until Setsuna finally stood straight but refused to sheath her katana. Her body was still fully tensed, and she looked ready to launch at anybody who tried to get in her way should she decide to attack Maki again, but she remained still. Nico turned to the redhead and walked over to her, holding out a hand.

"Are you alright, Maki?" Maki nodded and took her hand, scrambling to stand. "Sorry about that. We're here for a reason. Ah, um…" Nico awkwardly rubbed the back of her head, trying to think of a way to explain herself.

"The Prince of Blades, right?" Nico's mouth fell open. Maki giggled. "I've always known, Nico-chan. My mother is a Head, you know. I've heard about the Yazawa line long before I met you."

Nico just sighed and shook her head. "And you still argued with me that much?"

"Well, by the time I met you, I was no longer the heir to the Moon. Besides, you should've been able to sense the Moon about me and you didn't say anything. I figured you probably wanted to be treated normally." Nico let a small laugh escape.

"I should've guessed you would know." Void cleared her throat and Nico threw her a glare before turning back to Maki. "There's a lot to explain, but we don't have much time. We're not here for no reason, obviously."

Erena stepped forward and gracefully bowed. "It has been a while, Moon. Though we met as the Master of Void and heir to the Moon when you were very young, you might not remember me. Toudou Erena, Master of Void." Maki just nodded to acknowledge her, but her eyes were fixed on Umi who shifted uncomfortably before she walked up next to Void.

"Hey, Maki…"

"Umi…?"

"It's… a lot to explain."

Erena waved a hand to dismiss the conversation. "We don't have time for this. Although I'm sure you would like explanations, we're in a bit of a hurry. You can probably sense something amiss; your friend here has the Sixth Demon Lord inside her. All good now? Let's talk about what's actually important now."

"What!?"

Erena sighed but Umi stepped up. "It's true, Maki. We really don't have time to go into detail on it, but he means no harm. He's helping us. Honoka was dragged to the Underworld and we need to help her."

Too much information for Maki and she brought a hand to her head and decided to focus on the easier issue instead of why one of her close friends had a Demon Lord inside of her, and one that should be dead at that. "Why… Why is Honoka in the Underworld?"

"First." Erena spoke up again. "The First Demon Lord has taken her there. Unfortunately, we have no way of getting her out of there right now. Though my true body is on the way to her as we speak. Four Seasons will not avoid a confrontation with First in the Underworld. So, we're going to take advantage of it." Everybody looked at Erena at that. "Well, saving her will be a byproduct." She shrugged. "The First Demon Lord has split himself between a false body and his true body. Unless both are destroyed, he cannot be killed. And so, we've come to claim the true body of the First Demon Lord."

"You're… You're counting on Honoka killing him in the Underworld? Alone?"

"My heir is with her." Erena said as if that was enough.

"I know you hold confidence in the Void, but…"

"Worry not, Moon. The Witness and Sun accompany her. I see no reason to fret. Perhaps you are underestimating your friend or perhaps you are overestimating First."

"Overestimating!? He's the First Demon Lord! With how much shit he's caused and how many he's killed over the years, should I not expect him to be powerful?"

"N-Now, now." Riko spoke up for the first time since they arrive, trying to defuse the situation.

Erena started to speak again but they all stopped when a low growling reach their ears and they all turned to face Setsuna who was on all fours again. As opposed to attacking Maki again though, she was sniffing the ground around her.

"He's there… You won't escape me!" She jumped to her feet, swiping up her katana and held it above her head. "Devour style, 4th blade."

Nico looked ready to kill the girl right there but Erena held out a hand to stop her. "She won't attack any of us. She may have gotten distracted by Moon, but she's looked onto him now. I would not be so hasty as to attack her in that state. She will open the path to First for us."

"Vicious pursuit."

Nobody quite knew what happened in the next moment. A loud scraping sound that made several of them flinch. One instant, Setsuna was holding her katana above her and the next she was gone. Everybody looked around but Erena laughed and walked past the girls, all of them sharing some looks before following after her.

Maki wanted to question why she seemed to know the layout of her house so well, but she refrained as Erena made her way up the main stairs and to her father's old study. Nico rolled her eyes as they entered.

"What a generic place to hide something, is this a shitty mystery novel?"

The wooden boards of the study were shredded, the bookcases destroyed, the desk cut cleanly in half. Setsuna kneeled in the centre of the study, slamming her sword at something metallic. Erena and Nico moved around her to look and saw a small metal square embedded into two of the boards. Those boards lacked any scratches as did the square despite Setsuna's constant slamming of her sword into it.

"A curse… That's surprising. I should have known the Heads would dabble in a bit of forbidden magic from the old days. Though… Mm. This curse had definitely been here a long time. I doubt it could be recreated nowadays."

Setsuna stopped her slamming and turned towards Void with a snarl. "What are you waiting for!? If you can, open it! Or force the Nishikino girl to do it!" She turned her gaze to the redhead, but Nico once again stepped between them, this time glaring and Devour turned her attention back to Erena. "Now!"

"Now, now. Dismantling a curse is something only the one who created it can do. Well, at least in this day and age. The means of doing so have been lost to time. But…" Erena giggled and turned to send a sidelong glance Maki's way. "I suppose I could do something about it. If just to remind a future head of who holds the power in this… working relationship." She turned back to the square. "Move aside, Devour."

Erena's voice had changed from jovial to emotionless, a cold voice that made Setsuna take a step back before she even realized that she had. Void ran a finger along the square and sighed.

"You all should be grateful to see the Void in action. A blade capable to destroying even a curse, capable of wiping away. No. I cannot destroy a curse. But it will no longer be here. Why? Forget the past. Forget all that has occurred. The Void will remember for you. So, take heart. And forget…" Erena slowly, painfully slowly, drew her katana and pointed it down at the metal square. "Void style, 8th blade." She gently tapped the very tip of her katana against the square. "Lethe."

_Something_ happened. _Something_ definitely happened. A shrill shriek as if wind was travelling through a window that didn't exist sounded for a brief second. To all in the room, it felt as if the room itself shifted slightly, just ever so slightly. The floor vibrated beneath them, the air suddenly went stale, dust blew off the remaining bookshelves, a low humming centering on Void began to grow louder… louder… The girls covered their ears but right as they did it finally subsided. The dust settled once again. Silence fell over the room until Setsuna finally broke it.

"Void, it's still…!" She started to growl, but Void waved her off.

"That was simply to remove the curse that prevented us from accessing it." She turned to the others and prepared to say something, but her eyes locked onto Nico's. "Is something the matter, Prince?"

Nico snorted. "Removing a curse. No. Making an object forget that it even was cursed. That blade… Hmph. Just reminded me of a memory from an ancestor of mine. Don't mind me. Let's hurry up, that was sealing First's body, right? Come on."

Erena laughed and turned back to the box. Just like before, she tapped the tip of her katana onto the square and this time it cracked. She tapped once again and the box shattered like it was made from glass, the pieces of metal closing in on the space before expanding out. The metal stretched thin until a much larger version of the square from before rested in the ground, a set of clean metal stairs leading down into darkness.

"A pocket dimension. Did Moon dabble in this? Haha." Erena moved to take the first step but Setsuna shoved past her, sprinting down the stairs. Void just turned to the rest of them and sheathed her sword. "Shall we?"

* * *

This smell. It's disgusting. Terrible. It makes me want to puke and yet I want to pursue it, to chase it down to the ends of the earth and tear apart the source. It fills my head, promises me that it will sate this hunger that grows within me. I can no longer smell anything else. The dust from that room, the metallic stairs, the people behind me. None. Just that intoxicating, addictive smell.

I want to kill it. I want to kill it! It's there! It's close! A Demon Lord. A Demon Lord is close… It beckons me forward. The Devouring Sword pushes me forward. This is what it has always sought after, this is what my line has sought after, this is what all demon slayers should seek! First! It's the smell of the First Demon Lord!

Metal stairs bend under my steps, but I can't slow myself, can't hold myself back. Why? Because it's there! Do those behind me not understand? Do they not get what is right in front of us? First! The First Demon Lord! I want to kill him. I want to tear his body apart, to taste the blood pouring from his corpse. I want to. I need to! I need to see him dead! I need to slice him up! I need to! I have to!

Is this not why I am a demon slayer? Is this not why I was given a second life, another chance? I promised the Devouring Sword, I promised my master that I would pursue the Demon Lords to the ends of the earth, that I would destroy them! Unlike those others who were nurtured by Sixth, we are different! We come from the pure desire of humans to destroy the Demon Lords. We don't defend ourselves; we eat those who are in our way, we tear them apart!

Everything becomes a blue as I pass by. Nothing but the Demon Lord is important. Nothing but finding him is important, tearing him apart, tasting that blood! Somebody yells out at me from above, but I ignore it. The sound is so distant it doesn't seem worth it to turn around and respond. It'll slow me down too much.

There! I see it! Light! Something! The smell is overwhelming. It's all around me, suffocating, intoxicating, it feels so right! It's right here! It's… It's…

This is…

* * *

**Setsuna-chan is scary.**

**I never really showed them, but there are actually plenty of blades that may not be directly used offensively and Vicious pursuit is the first one I've shown, I believe. But yeah, just know that they do exist.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	38. Underworld VII - Vassal of the First II

**I lied. We're back in the Underworld.**

**I ended up changing the order I was to do some thinks in at the last second. Well, you guys probably wanted some more action with Chika, right? So, here it is.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"So, Kane-chan," Chika let her katana point towards the ground, letting out a breath. "The others have been gone for a while now. Feel like talking about yourself now?" The ground around them had seen the terror of their short battle, Chika having no reservation in decimating the landscape around them. Kane's smirk spoke volumes, but he just shrugged. "Come on. I know you're not a demon. So just tell me. It's boring to have to think about these things while fighting."

"Oh? What makes you think that?"

"For one, I can see you. I entertained the idea of Hanayo-chan unconsciously putting up a barrier that allows me to do so, but I think that's unlikely, I don't sense anything. And with how far away she is now and her being in pain, if there was one it likely would have fallen by now." Chika shrugged as if that part should be obvious. "And second, you have a Demonbrand. If all it took to use a Demonbrand was being a high rank demon, we demon slayers would have a lot harder time. I think we would have plenty of documented cases. But I've never heard of such. Which leads me to believe that only Demon Lords are capable of manifesting Demonbrands. Which would mean, you're either a Demon Lord, which I doubt, or…"

"Ahaha! You really are a sharp one, Sun. You're right. I'm not a demon. And I'm definitely no Demon Lord. But come on, it's boring if I just tell you, right? Surely that brain of yours can work overtime to figure it out."

Chika started pacing a slow circle around the boy and laughed herself, bringing her katana up to rest on her shoulder. "I think I've already figured out more than you would like me to know, Kane-chan. Are you really sure you want me guessing more?" Kane narrowed his eyes which just elicited more laughing from Chika. "That's good! That look! It looks like we've flipped positions, huh? You thought you were stringing us all along. Your lord thought he had everything figured out. But… if that's the case, why did he want to kill me?"

"Sun, you…"

Chika stopped and gave the boy her best smirk. "Tell me, Kane-chan, vassal of the First Demon Lord. How's your _lord_ doing?"

That seemed to do it. Kane was rushing her with his blade as soon as the words left her mouth. "Rain style, 6th blade." "Ahaha! So that's your answer, Kane-chan? Sun style, 8th blade." Kane closed the distance between them quickly, bringing his katana in close before striking in from a low angle. Chika had encountered blades like this before and she felt multiple strikes closing in on her, shifting in strange ways, just enough that she couldn't quite get an accurate idea of where each strike was coming from. "Monsoon." "Supernova." Chika slammed her blade into the ground, destroying all of the ground around her and sending what survived flying in every direction. The force was enough to stop Kane who took a step back, shielding his face from the rocks and dirt.

"Sunburst." Kane had no time to react as his stomach burst, blood, red blood, flying in every direction as his body was sent flying back. Or it should have, but Chika was in front of him in an instant, holding his coat with one hand, her other pointing her Demonbrand at his neck.

"You're really not a demon, haha! Maybe the others were too panicked to notice, but I knew my eyes didn't deceive me. Red blood, huh? But you're definitely not a human either." Chika shrugged. "Well, it doesn't really matter, I guess. How did it feel for me to get a little serious, Kane-chan? If you keep putting up a struggle, I might just have to try harder, you know."

With a flash of steel, Kane knocked that sword away from his neck and managed to pull himself free, backing up a safe distance. Chika stood there calmly, a confident smile on her face. She held in a laugh as she watched his stomach slowly close up.

"Red blood… and you wield a Demonbrand…" Chika nodded to herself. "Hehe. Everything's really falling into place. I was sure about my assumption of your lord, but now I'm sure about your identity too. Tell me, Kane-chan. You've been alive for a long time, so you have to know quite a bit of history, right? Then you should know. Though it's considered top secret in this day, it was common knowledge when it happened. There was only one instance of demon slayers being ordered to kill another demon slayer. Hundreds of years ago. Ring a bell?"

"I can't say I'm familiar, Sun." Kane said through gritted teeth.

"Oh? You know, I don't really like liars, Kane-chan. But I guess I could let you off this one time since you're making this so easy for me. The Master of Stars. A man who bathed his Demonbrand in demon blood every day for fifty years. Or so it's said. I'm sure the true method was lost with him. At least they let his heir live, right? Haha! Anyways, do you know what happened? His Demonbrand came to life! It gained the ability to take the form of a human! Can you believe it? There's no way, right? A Demonbrand taking on the form of a human…" Chika turned her ever so overconfident smirk his way. "There's just no way, right?"

"Tch. I can really see now why my lord wants me to kill you. You're too clever for your own good, Sun." He shook his head but matched that confident smirk. "I believe I've bought enough time though. Killing you was to be my goal. However, my lord knew it was unlikely that I would be able to quickly do away with you. So, stalling is good enough." Kane pretended to check a watch that didn't exist. "My lord should be greeting them any second now."

Chika's smirk dropped. "Oh. Is that so?" She looked away, off into the distance and let out a loud and exaggerated sigh. "Honestly, I kind of wanted to drag this on some more, fighting you is a lot of fun, Kane-chan. But it looks like I'll have to put that to an end. What were you saying about getting serious or something? I guess you really want to see the true light of the Sun, huh?" Chika's voice dropped and she let her katana touch the rock under them, cracking it. "Let's have a real fight."

"Sun style, 7th blade, Sunburst." Chika struck out and Kane moved his sword to block it, but the sheer force of the blow sent his Demonbrand clear from his hand along with reducing his right hand to nothing but a large splash of blood. And Chika was over him before he could regenerate or resummon his katana. "Sun style, 6th blade, Sun pillar." A flash of light. Burning flames. The ground below the girl was destroyed, leaving a deep almost perfectly circular hole that went down who knows how deep. Chika completed her jump by landing on just the edge of the pit. She slammed her sword into the side of the pit, crushing enough of the inner part for it to cave in, leaving a small crater with a pile of rocks in the centre.

Chika stood still and stared at the rocks for a bit before letting out an impatient sigh. "Get up already." A red liquid, blood, Chika thought, started to rise through the cracks in the rocks, coming together until it finally took the shape of a person and Kane's body solidified back to its original form.

"You're definitely something, Sun." Kane held up his arms, showing clear cuts through the coat and into his arms that hadn't healed. "Some of these injuries aren't even healing. I guess I did underestimate you a bit. I guess I should come in equally as hard. Seeing as my identity has already been discovered, there's no point in hindering myself by only using this sword."

"Oh, finally being cooperative, huh? I appreciate that. It'll make this whole thing be at least somewhat entertaining for me." Chika pretended to stretch her arms. "Well, if you're going to be cooperative, why not tell something before I kill you then? I'm sure I'll find out anyways, but it would be easier this way." She paused and stared straight into the boy's eyes. "Who is your real lord? I assume it's still a Demon Lord. But that would only leave Second and Third. So? Who is it?"

"… Ahhh, you really are the ever-observant one aren't you, Sun? I suppose I don't mind telling you. It's not like I was ordered to keep it a secret anymore. And it won't matter at this point anyways. But first, tell me. How did you know? I'm curious how that mind of yours works, Sun."

"It was obvious. Maybe your lord was unaware, but my Master was one of the few demon slayers alive to meet First in person. She told me about it a while back, the one time she came to the Underworld. 'I could have killed him right then and there, so easily,' she would always say. And, well, she probably could have. My Master is no pushover. But when she met him, he threw his hands up, laughed and said, 'I surrender. Don't kill me, Sun, and I'll tell you whatever you want.'" Chika shook her head in disbelief. "Can you believe it? My Master spared the life of the First Demon Lord for information he offered. Crazy, isn't it? Regardless, that's why I knew."

"Eh? That's…"

"You said your lord ordered you to kill me. First was aware of how powerful my Master was and decided not to fight her. If he knew that then he surely now knows how powerful I am. I can believe that he wanted you to stall me, but when you started out with telling me he wants you to kill me…" She crossed her arms and shook her head again. "First would never give an order like that to a lowly insect like you. If he wanted any chance of defeating me, he would come face me himself."

"… Haha! True! That would definitely be true! Ah, I guess it's our bad for not doing enough research then. My lord never mentioned anything about the Master of the Sun meeting First. Maybe he wasn't even aware that it happened."

"So? Hurry it up. I'd like to get on with things."

"Ever the impatient one, Sun. Well, I'll keep my word." Kane gave an exaggerated bow. "My name is Kane, Demonbrand of the Second Demon Lord. My true orders were simply to stall you. A little lie never hurt anyone, did it? My lord wishes to meet with Four Seasons and… ah, I guess I don't have an obligation to tell you that part. But, hm… I guess I could tell you about Void…"

Chika shrugged again. "If that's all you're offering, then I already know."

"You know and yet you side with her?"

"Who said I'm on the same team as Void-chan? In fact… If your lord is already with them, I suppose it's time for me to act." Chika smirked and stuck out her tongue. Kane had to squint but he could make out a black circle on her tongue.

"That's… quite a modern-looking spell. No, not a spell. A rune that links the user with somebody, is it?"

"Mm. But that link… I just wonder what it does…" Chika laughed and bit her tongue, sticking it out again. A bit of blood dripped over the circle and it immediately vanished. "Ow, ow. Well, that takes care of Void-chan."

"Takes care…? Sate my curiosity, Sun."

"Hm?" Chika shrugged. "I just took care of her. That's all you need to know. I didn't kill her or anything if that's what you think. After all, Void is a good girl. It's the Void itself that's rotten to the core. I won't punish Void-chan too hard for something she's forced to do."

"You believe that Void is betraying you because she was forced to?"

Chika nodded and titled her head as if it was obvious. "Of course. Void would never betray us if she had the choice. But, well… I just gave her a little something to think about. Ah, but this isn't really important. I should be meeting them soon. So, let's get this on with, huh? Sunburst." This time Kane dodged it but he smiled at the sudden attack.

"You certainly jump right into things, huh, Sun? No wasting time with you. Well, you were the one who wanted this to be fun, right, Sun? I'll oblige. Your first mistake was coming to the Underworld. This is our territory! The light of the sun never shines here!" Kane pointed his sword towards the ginger. "My name is Kane, Demonbrand of the Second Demon Lord. I release my constraints and curse the heir to the Sun." He grabbed the blade of his sword with his free hand and with little effort snapped the blade.

Chika watched the boy with some curiosity, staying on alert for an attack but nothing seemed to be coming from him. "Kane-chan, come on. I don't― ugh!" Chika recoiled as a sharp pain went through her left leg and she immediately jumped back, saving her leg from being cut straight through. A blade had risen from the ground and got a nasty cut on her leg. She observed the blood now flowing down her leg. "Looks worse than it is. Not too deep. Alright, Kane-chan. I see how you want to play it. It's my bad, really. I should have been more on guard. Now, though… Sun style, 8th blade." Chika took a step forward but opened her eyes in shock as her left leg refused to move and she collapsed to one knee. "What…?"

"Are you deaf, Sun?" Her head snapped back towards the boy, growing frustration obvious on it. "The true nature of myself, a Demonbrand given life. Bathing a Demonbrand in demon blood is not quite enough. There was something else the Master of Stars did, something that no other master of his time could." Kane stopped a few meters from her and crouched down to eye level. "He put a curse on his Demonbrand."

Chika's eyes widened but her anger turned to a smile and she even laughed. "Of course. It was my fault for not thinking of that possibility. A curse. Who would have guessed a modern demon would be capable of such a thing? You really pulled one over on me, Kane-chan." She looked down at her left leg and tried moving it again, but it was no use. It was out for the count.

"I guess I'm sorry. I'll end it all soon so don't―"

Chika pushed off the ground with one hand, sending herself flying away. "Sun style, 7th blade, Sunburst." Kane moved to dodge, but his left arm from below his elbow was torn off. "Sun style." She planted her right foot down and pushed off, this time towards the boy. Kane smirked and Chika heard the ground burst open under her, a dozen of the blades striking up all around her. But she barely paid them any attention and Kane's confident smirk fell away as the blades _melted_. As they got within just an inch of the ginger, each one melted, falling back to the ground in a puddle of molten steel. And that distraction was enough. Chika passed by him and he heard the quiet whisper. "Sunlight."

"Urgh!" A burning sensation traveled up the remainder of his arm but when he looked the arm was no longer there. But no blood poured from his shoulder. It looked like the wound had been burned shut, the flesh dark and tough.

Chika landed into a roll and got back up on her one working leg.

"Haha. A limb for a limb, Kane-chan."

Kane turned his glare on her. "That… That wasn't a blade, was it?"

"Hm? Of course not. Those cuts you commented on earlier about not healing? I was letting a little too much of the Sun's light leak out. This time I bathed your arm in the light of the Sun. It will never regenerate." She smirked at his anger. "You took out my leg so it's only fair, right? It was originally developed for demons, but it seems like it works on you as well. That's great, right?"

"You really are full of tricks aren't you, Sun? It looks like I really will have to put an end to you. Let's see how long you can run with that leg of yours!"

Kane held his hand out wide and Chika knew what was coming. She pushed herself off the ground again as blades burst out under her. But this time they elongated, bending and chasing after her. As soon as she would land, she pushed herself off again but the blades were too fast. "Sun style, 9th blade, Superflare." She blew the blades away but more just took their place. "Tch. If it's come to this… Sun style, 1st blade. Sol Invictus." She thrust out with her sword, blowing everything in front of her away, the ground, the blades, everything. She finally landed on her good foot but realized her mistake too late. Another searing pain shot through her, but this time her right leg and it immediately gave out.

"Ahaha! Look at you! On the ground where you belong!" Kane approached her again, the smirk on his face doing little to improve the girl's mood. "Look at what the Sun had been reduced to! Crawling on the ground like an insect! It's hilarious! Your instincts are good, Sun, but they're not enough here in the Underworld. I told you, this is our domain. Ah, but if I knew it would this easy, maybe I would have let it drag out some. I'm kinda disappointed honestly."

He rambled on but Chika wasn't listening. She just stared at the ground in front of her, her thoughts racing through thousands of scenarios. She scanned every last bit of information in her brain. She had screwed up but it wasn't over. It couldn't be over, could it? She was the Sun. There was no extinguishing the Sun. It would be around long after she died and passed the Sun to her heir. There would be no end until the Sun accomplished its job. And right now, that job is…

Kane stopped mid-sentence as he watched the girl. "You…"

The ground around Chika was melting. The molten rock glowed all around her, spreading out slowly save for the ground directly under herself. There were no tears from the girl, no signs of resignation. And when she looked up, the blank look on her face sent chills down Kane's spine.

"Stop resisting, Sun!" Blades rose from the ground and shot towards the girl but they melted long before reaching her, falling into the molten rock.

"Honestly… I never thought someone would piss me off this much. To think I would need to release the Sun's constraints to defeat you. It really was my bad. I should have killed you early on." Chika's face remained stoic, her voice pooled out in a monotone puddle. "My first mistake was coming to the Underworld? Far from it, Kane. My only mistake was not letting the Sun kill you."

"You…! If you believe in the Sun so much, die with it!" His katana appeared in his remaining hand, all in one piece again. "Rain style―" But as he started, half of the blade was already melted, pooling into molten steel at his feet. "Sun, you…!"

"Sunlight."

Darkness. A terrible pain, a pain beyond anything a human could dream of feeling. Kane grabbed at his eyes and screamed into the emptiness of the Underworld. "AHHHH! Sun! you! What the fuck!?" There was only darkness. Darkness and an intense burning in his eyes. They felt like they were boiling and, for all he knew, they might be. He desperately covered them, tried to regenerate but it was no use. He stumbled backwards, falling to the ground but he was in too much pain to care. "Sun! What is this!? You'll pay for this!"

"No." Kane froze. The voice came from right in front of him but there was no way the girl could have moved to him. "This was necessary."

"Necessary!? I'll kill you, Sun!" Even in the darkness, he knew his blades would find her. But he kept summoning more and more but none reached the girl. He could hear the dripping as they melted and the molten steel fell to the ground. "Sun, you goddamn monster! I swear! I swear upon my lord. I'll―"

"You'll do naught but die here, Kane. Perhaps you think it rude of me to do this, but it was necessary, like I said. After all…" He heard the sound of metal sliding, the sound of Chika drawing her katana from its sheath. "You're not worthy to lay eyes upon this blade. I thought, just maybe, that I would use it in front of you, that this blade would be the last thing you saw before you died… but you proved yourself unworthy. So…"

"No! Sun! No! You! I'll kill you! That curse will never be lifted if I die! You'll crawl for the rest of your life!" There was a pause and he smiled. "You see? You know you don't want it to be like that! We can help each other here."

"Help? I believe you have the wrong idea. I'm not seeking your help. After I kill you and handle Second, I'll worry about this curse."

"Worry about it!? Don't you get it, Sun!? Without me, you'll never lift it! You'll spend the rest of your life crawling like a pathetic insect! You need me alive to remove it! You―"

"Quiet. I'm tired of that voice. I'm tired of this place. The sooner I get out, the better. And to that, only two need to die. You and Second. This is the end."

"No! Sun! Didn't you hear me!? You'll never―"

"Sun style, 11th blade."

"SUUUUUUN!"

"Farewell, Kane. Blackhole."

And then nothing.

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed it.**

**I've been a little busy with university, sorry about my posting suddenly getting weird. I was also experimenting with some other writing. Not the other story I posted, something else. I was just curious how something else would turn out so I've been dabbling in it a bit.**

**Anyways. If you guys haven't listened to any works by At the Garret, you should. I listened to ****石の花. Really good stuff.**

**I hope you all have a great day.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	39. Second

**Wow, another chapter so soon? Well, yeah. I want to get this story moving along.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

Setsuna had sprinted down the stairs quickly, Riko, Maki, and Umi chasing down after her. But Erena walked deliberately slowly, taking her sweet time and Nico matched pace with her. It was obvious Nico wanted to say something, but she was hesitating, occasionally glancing in Void's direction. When Erena picked up on this, she giggled.

"My, do I capture the eye of the Prince so easily? Even if you are royalty, it is rude to keep throwing those looks my way. May I help you, Prince?" Every time she said Prince, Nico internally cringed but decided that if they got started on that subject, it would never end.

"A blade that removes curses, huh?" Nico said instead. "No, a blade that makes objects forget they were cursed. I can't say I remember the Void having such a blade and my ancestors have worked fairly closely with them in the past."

Erena smirked. "Curious about the Void? Unfortunately, revealing the secrets of the Void is something I will not do. Let us just say that this blade has been… a work in progress for quite some time now, long before my time as Master or heir. Who would not seek a way to remove curses? HQ would certainly love to hear about it, would they not? I may need to remind those down there, but I trust you with you limited contact with the demon slayer world will not talk about it anyways. I doubt you find a reason to speak with HQ nowadays."

Nico snorted but nodded. "I won't tell them. The Yazawas have never been on friendly terms with them, we just tolerated them. Unfortunately, the world needs demon slayers and if HQ wants to take on the job of managing them, more power to them. Prior to their formation, it was very difficult for demon slayers to share information, so organizing against anything wasn't going to happen. Maybe that's why Demon Lords didn't begin to die until much later."

They walked in silence for a bit, both gauging the other. It wasn't like either of them were about to slash out at the other, but there was some tension that arose from unspoken words.

Nico finally broke the silence. "Tell me, what do you think about this?" Before Erena could give some sarcastic remark, Nico continued. "The First Demon Lord's body being sealed away. It looks like the others didn't even question it. But the fact that it is leaves only three realistic options in my eyes."

"Do tell, Prince."

"Tch. Let's start by thinking. The thing that made me suspicious at all is that a curse was used to seal it. Curses are extremely rare nowadays and not easy to replicate or destroy, even for a Demon Lord. So, that brings us to the first possible explanation: First seals himself away here while he uses his false body in the Underworld. I highly doubt that based on what I just said. Even for First, destroying and recreating the curse every time he wishes to seal away his body is absurd."

Void nodded at that. "Quite true. It would take far too much time and effort even for him."

"Exactly. So, second possible explanation: First is not here at all. Though this is possible, Devour smelled a Demon Lord here. So, if First isn't here, then another Demon Lord is and they're waiting for us in ambush. I doubt the likelihood of this as well, so I'll move onto the third option." She paused and glanced Erena's way, the girl's knowing smile telling Nico she already knew what the third possible explanation was, so Nico waved her hand as if to say, 'go on.'

"Lastly, the First Demon Lord may be dead. In which case his body was sealed away, most likely by another Demon Lord. And we're still walking into a trap." Nico nodded. "It is possible, I admit. But the likelihood… it would be quite a feat to hide the death of a Demon Lord, especially First. I'd say it's near impossible."

"I understand that. But we have to be prepared for every situation. What would concern me…" Nico turned a glare her way. "I'm concerned that you may already know what lies ahead from glancing into the Void. You told us that you've seen First's body. So, why even entertain other theories? If the Void doesn't lie to you, then we should find First's true body at the bottom of these stairs. Am I wrong?"

"Haha. My, my, calm down, Prince. While it is true that I have witnessed the true body of First… that is all I have witnessed. The Void does not wish me to look past that and so I will not force it to show me. Whatever happens from here on out is truly fate, a fight against the unknown. While I would like to say that makes me uneasy, going into everything knowing what will happen would bore me. Even I like some surprise in my life."

Nico frowned. "The Void is hiding things from its Master?"

Erena shrugged. "In some sense, it is true that we are Masters of a style. On the other hand, we are only their masters because we are allowed to be. There is nothing that stops them from dropping us, stripping us of our power over them. It is not my place to question the Void."

"You think differently than they used to then."

"Hm? What is that?"

"Memories from the previous Yazawas. I know of the old Masters from hundreds of years ago. They believed that they truly controlled their styles. After all, it comes down to a master or heir to change a style." Nico shrugged. "I guess it doesn't really matter either way. It's not like it makes a difference in my life how you demon slayers see your styles."

"Hmph. Unfortunately, not everybody is capable of coming to the level of a Yazawa, even those of your line before it was cursed. Your ancestors slew demons with ordinary katanas, surpassing the limits of what should be possible for humans. And now look. With the knowledge and skill they pass on, any current Yazawa who inherited the curse is able to stand up to any style."

"Tch. We didn't ask for this shitty curse. I don't want to be involved in the demon slayer world. I'm only even helping now because Honoka is involved. That idiot would dive straight into the Underworld to save me if our positions were reversed."

Erena shook her head. "I would say that I don't see the value in thinking that way, but I suppose I'm guilty as well. I did truly befriend Tsubasa and Anju after all. Not that I could ever tell them of my true position."

"Does it matter? It's not like I ever planned on telling any of my friends the truth about me. There was no reason for them to know. Honoka will know, I guess, soon enough. It's not like it's something I need to hide or anything anyways. I don't think you particularly need to hide it either. I guess you have HQ to worry about but… it's not like they'll do anything now that you're a master."

Erena started to speak again but a scream from below them cut her off. The two looked at each other before picking up their pace to a sprint. The stairs were almost unbelievably long, but they did reach the bottom.

The stairs opened up into a massive chamber, the ceiling of which was so high that all they could see was darkness. The stone walls were covered in strange symbols that glowed with a faint blue light. Riko stood near the base of the stairs with Umi and Maki in front of her. Setsuna was closer to the centre of the room. Eight pillars rose into the darkness, all set around a dais with a… throne? That was the only way Nico could think to describe it. It was plain, carved from stone as well, but it was definitely in the shape of a throne. And on that throne sat a figure clad in only a black cloak, every feature of it obscured except for pale hands that rested on the arms of the throne.

Setsuna had her sword out, striking at the figure but her sword bounced off some invisible barrier every time. She yelled out her frustrations but no matter how many times she struck, she couldn't break through. Her nose twitched and she turned to look at Nico and Erena.

"Oi! Prince, Void! One of you get to work! Take down this damn barrier!"

Nico took a few steps forward and stared intently at the figure. It leaned on one arm but seemed to not move at all. At the least, it was unresponsive to Setsuna's attempts to strike it. She looked Riko's way who jumped a bit at her gaze.

"Hey, Sun's partner. What do you see?"

"H-Huh?"

"You can see things we can't. What do you see there?"

"Eh? I-It's just a skeleton, right?" All eyes snapped to her and she jumped again. "W-What? Eh? What's wrong, everyone?"

Nico slowly turned back toward the figure. The hands that were visible were definitely not skeletal. They looked just like normal human hands with flesh. But if Riko saw a skeleton…"

"An illusion, huh? Maybe from this barrier. Tch. Step aside, Devour." Setsuna seemed a bit hesitant even though she was the one who asked for help, but she moved aside. Nico slowly drew her katana. "A barrier from a Demon Lord? Don't make me laugh." With one swing, the barrier shattered, the image before them changing. There was no hood on the figure, just a human skull. The hands were definitely skeletal as well. Just like Riko had said. It was just a corpse. "Looks like one of our theories was right, Void."

"What…? No!" Setsuna yelled, still pointed her sword in the direction of the corpse. "I smell it! I smell the Demon Lord!"

Nico started to tell her that it was a Demon Lord's corpse so obviously it would smell like one, but she was cut off as something tugged at her. A voice? It sounded like someone was calling her name, but it was so distant that she couldn't quite make it out. Setsuna started to speak again but Nico silenced her with a glare and held a finger to her mouth to tell everybody else to be quiet. The voice was getting louder, just slightly. She saw Erena twitch and looked over to her.

"The Void…" Erena mumbled. "Yoshiko is reaching out to us with the Void." She crossed her arms and turned to Nico. "Answer it. It won't get through if you don't."

"Answer…?" Nico listened closely. The voice was becoming clearer. And she definitely recognized it. "Honoka?"

As soon as she called out, a burst of wind sent everybody in the room except for Erena and Umi into a defensive stance. A mass of darkness seemed to appear from nowhere in front of Nico and it expanded until it was almost her size. Everything was quiet for a moment before Nico hesitantly spoke up again.

"Honoka?"

"Nico-chan!" It was definitely the boisterous ginger and Nico felt herself smiling. Knowing the girl was alive was some reassurance at least.

"Honoka, I…"

"It's alright, Nico-chan. I already know everything. I don't blame you for hiding it. It's the same thing as me not reaching out to all of you sooner. We both had our reasons." Nico just nodded even though the ginger couldn't see her. "Eh? Ah, Yoshiko-chan says we don't have a lot of time. We need to tell you something."

"I should probably give you a summary of our situation as well."

"Eh? Uh, sure. But that can wait!"

Erena stepped forward and called out. "It would be prudent of you to speak quickly then, Four Seasons. As my heir has told you, the Void cannot remain open in such a state for long."

"Eh?" It sounded like Honoka said something to someone else and waited for a response before she turned back and cleared her throat. Was this a cellphone conversation or something? Nico thought with a snort. "Right! I'm glad the Master of Void is there too. I spoke with Autumn who told me something very important."

Everybody in the room tensed at the mention of one of the Four Seasons. Honoka had spoken with her?

"You spoke with…?" Nico started but shook her head. "What is it?"

"She told me…" There was a pause and Nico could picture Honoka swallowing from nerves. "The First Demon Lord is dead."

Everybody in the room simultaneously sucked in a breath. All eyes were wide and they glanced between each other before looking back at the darkness. It was silent but Nico had no idea what to say. That meant…

"It looks like one of our theories was definitely true… Honoka, I―" Nico started but the Void suddenly closed, leaving nothing behind. "Eh? Dammit. Void, can't you…?" Nico turned to Erena, but the girl's Demonbrand had appeared at her hip once again. Nico put her hand to her own sword and turned to follow Void's gaze.

The hand, that skeletal hand, was raised towards them. Everybody in the room stared as it slowly lowered back to the throne. The skeleton shifted and stood. Even Setsuna was stunned to silence for a moment before she realized what was happening and struck out with her sword. The skeleton just lifted one arm and struck out, faster than anybody could see, and sent the girl flying across the room to slam into the wall next to the stairs.

"Guh!"

"… Haha… Ah, this… this was not how I expected it to be at all…" A soft voice reached out and the skeleton started to shift. Red swirls reach out from under the cloak, shifting around the body, forming around it. And then there was a girl. Short greyish-brown hair fell to her shoulders. Deep blue eyes scanned over the room. She took a step forward, a calm smile on her face. "Ah… So many visitors. So many interesting guests."

Nico tightened her grip on her sword. "Who are you? First? Second?"

"First… Second…" A small laugh escaped the girl's lips before she set her eyes on the girl. "Do those numbers really matter? I am… a Demon Lord, yes. For so long, I have existed. So long. Why?" She continued to glance around the room until her eyes rested on Umi. "Ah. You look so different. Oh. You share the body? I see. I see. Speak with me, won't you… brother?"

Umi shook a bit but stood firm. "**Second**. **So you really are the one behind this mess.**"

"Mess…? Mess? Did I cause a mess?" She took another step forward and it was then Nico noticed how cold the room had become. A white mist existed the girl's mouth as she spoke. Nico spared a glance at the ground and saw the stone under the girl's feet freezing as she stepped. "No. It was the humans that cause this mess. It was their ignorance. And it was your ignorance, brother. You gave them the ability to slay us. Did we have a choice but to act?"

"**I gave them a chance to fight. I've regretted asking Seventh to send me to this world. It is my fault that so many humans have died due to our savagery.**"

"… Savagery? Haha… that is an interesting way to put it…" Another step forward. Nico cautiously took a step back. The girl's eyes drifted back between her and Erena. "The Prince of Blades… the Void. It is a great honour to meet you… Ah, well… I met a Prince long ago… very long ago… Do you not remember me, Yazawa Nico?" Nico scanned her brain but had no memory of a Yazawa fighting the Second Demon Lord.

"I can't say I do, Second."

"A shame… I even gave your ancestor such a nice present." Second put a hand to her chin in thought. "Who else could give such a luxurious gift as the eyes of a Demon Lord?" Everybody in the room once again tensed. "And she was not even grateful. Foolish, right?"

"The eyes… of a Demon Lord?" To Nico's surprise it was Erena who spoke up. Void narrowed her eyes. "There had always been a pair of eyes unaccounted for. Are you telling me that you gave them to a member of the Yazawa line? Why?"

"A gift, of course. I hoped that they would understand and help me… but that did not go well. I suppose it is hard to blame them." She directed her gaze to Nico. "It is partially my fault that your line was cursed after all." The smile remained and now Nico was starting to feel pissed. "We truly meant for your line to work with us, not against us. I suppose you did not appreciate the thought though." Another step forward, the temperature dropping even lower and the ground still freezing beneath bare feet. "Second swept out her arm. "Now, Void, tell me. Show me your plan."

Silence ensued as Erena glared at her and Second let out a short chuckle.

"Of course, you have nothing. Because you only see what the Void wishes for you to see. Like a mouse running into the trap for cheese you foolishly follow the Void only to fall. And now your road comes to an end. For soon I will have all I need." Second turned her gaze slowly back to Umi. "Soon I will secure what Fourth sought to hide from me."

"Fourth…" Umi spoke slowly.

"Fourth was willing to work with me, to help me. But… in the end, he betrayed me. For some reason, he took to your preachings, Sixth. He wished simply to stop the end of humanity. But… it was not that simple. Of course I would not let him. But he stole it from me… And he hid it away in a place that he was sure would be protected. A place where First would stake his life for."

Umi's eyes widened. "You don't mean…!"

"Indeed. Inside Kousaka Honoka, the heir to the Four Seasons." Nico struck out but Second moved aside, far faster than the girl would have imagined her could move and her sword took out the stone throne. "How rude, Prince. I do not wish to fight you." Second shrugged. "Besides, even if you manage to destroy this body of mine, it would mean nothing. I am not foolish like First. This is simply a borrowed body, nothing more. I have long since returned my true body to the Underworld."

"**Impossible. There is no way to undo the bind on your body.**"

"Unlike you, Sixth, I have not sat by idly for hundreds of years. I have worked hard, so hard. I have overcame the very limits that the world itself set upon us. And now I have reached this point." She looked around at everybody. "Go ahead. Attack me. Kill me. It's meaningless. Soon I will have Kousaka Honoka in my hands and everything will be at its end. All demon slayers are content to just sit around and kill demons that there is not limit to. Foolish. Truly foolish. It is foolishness like this that led to First's death."

"Hmph. So what Four Seasons said is true." Erena shook her head. "And if you're telling us this…"

"That is correct. First has long been dead by my hand. What you know as First is nothing more than a puppet, a piece for me to play in this game."

"Devour style…" Everybody's head snapped to Setsuna who was slowly standing. "2nd blade…"

"Stop, Devour, you're not match for him." Nico called out. "I'll handle t―"

"Quiet, Prince!" Nico's mouth snapped shut before she even realized it. The anger in Setsuna's voice was unlike anything she had heard before. Pure rage. "You're wrong, Second. Demon slayers have not sat by idly for years. We just waited. Waited for you to make your last mistake."

"A mistake? Please do tell, Devour."

Setsuna sniffed the air shook her head. "Showing your face… in front of me." She got down on all fours and her breathing picked up. "Long has the Devouring Sword waited to taste your flesh." She let out something like a growl and dropped her sword. "And now…" She spoke through gritted teeth. "Consume!"

Setsuna shot off the wall and Second barely spared her a glance as he struck out. But Setsuna was faster, moving around that hand and going straight past her, stopping on top of the dais, next to the destroyed throne. An audible swallow sounded from the girl who slowly turned, now on back on just her feet, and smirked.

"Amazing. I never thought a Demon Lord would taste so disgusting… so why is it that I want to taste more?"

Second narrowed her eyes. "It was my soul you were after. To think that the Devouring Sword had the ability to touch the very soul of demons, and Demon Lords at that." The temperature dropped even lower, the girls beginning to involuntarily shiver. The walls started to freeze, ice slowly travelling up them, spreading out along the floor as well. "This became a lot more interesting. It's true that my soul is connected to this body… perhaps I will have to defend myself."

"Void style…" Erena started to speak, but she was smacked away as if she was nothing more than a fly. She slammed into the wall, similar to the way Setsuna had but she stood immediately and sighed. "Even if this illusion feels no pain, that's annoying." She turned her eyes to Nico. "Without my body, I don't believe I'll be able to help here much. I'll do my utmost to reach Four Seasons in the Underworld quickly."

Nico nodded. "Leave it to me. Maki, keep Umi safe. Devour and I will handle this." Nico struck out again, this time carving a line down Second's arm. Red blood spurted out, but it quickly closed up and Second just sighed.

"Perhaps you have become too confident, Prince. I guess I'll have to show you your place." Then a sudden pause. "Hmph. It looks like I'll have to let the owner of this body handle you. I need to attend to Four Seasons for a bit. Without my full attention there, I might well be in trouble. I do bid you all a farewell for now. Please have fun."

And just like that, in an instant, the air of the room changed. The temperature immediately returned to normal and the ice simply vanished as if it had never been there. Second hung her head, simply standing there. Nico cautiously approached, her sword ready to strike. And she almost did when that head snapped up.

"Yosoro!" The voice echoed in the room as silence and shock took over everybody. "Watanabe You at your service! Let's have fun, okay?" She winked and everybody's mouth just fell open another inch. "Eh? Did I mess up my intro? Second told me I could do it however I wanted to…"

"What? You… Who the fuck are you?" Nico asked.

But Erena stepped up next to her, her usual confident smirk back on. "Watanabe You, is it? It's certainly been a long time since I've heard that name."

You tilted her head in confusion. "Um, do we know each other?"

"No. But I have heard much about you from the previous Master of Void and the Void itself. A girl forsaken because of the treasonous act she committed."

"Haha! Are there rumors about me now? Well, I guess that would be a given. HQ managed to hide details about me pretty well, I have to say. Well then, let me reintroduce myself since one of you already knows who I am." She cleared her throat and put her hands on her hip, a confident smile radiating energy from her. "My name is Watanabe You, the former Master of Stars." A katana appeared by her hip in a deep blue sheath and she drew it, pointing it at Nico and Void. "Let's have fun, alright?"

* * *

**A bit of lore for those interested. You was originally supposed to appear as a rival to Seira. But that timeline was one I ended up ditching very early on. So, in this story, she's taken on a completely different role than originally intended. Neat, huh?**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	40. Beyond the Open World I

**40 chapters!? I'm pretty sure I had originally intended for this to be like 30. But, well, things happen. We're pretty much in the final arc, so enjoy the ride!**

* * *

"Honoka, I―"

Nico's voice cut off as the Void in front of her closed without warning and Honoka was left staring at nothing. She paused, confused for a second. Had their time run out? Yoshiko would have warned her, right? She turned to question the girl, but her eyes were wide.

"The Void… was closed from both sides simultaneously. It was forced closed." Honoka never expected to see that look on Yoshiko... a look of fear, unease. "Impossible. Nobody but us should be able to…" If Yoshiko's words alone could bring bad luck, then they had.

The temperature suddenly dropped drastically around them. Their breath became visible and they looked around in confusion. But they all felt it at the same time. The appearance of a presence that outweighed anything that they had felt before, as if a large weight had been dropped on their chests. The soft landing of feet and the three turned slowly to see, to two of them, a strikingly familiar face.

Long dark hair pulled into a ponytail, striking violet eyes that felt as if they were piercing through their very souls. A calm smile set. Honoka and Yoshiko simultaneously summoned their Demonbrands, both eyeing the girl.

"Kanan…" Honoka spoke slowly, hoping she was just imagining this or that it was an illusion or something. "Is that really you? You… You're the Void, though?" She looked to Yoshiko who stared with unbridled anger clear as day on her face.

It was definitely Kanan. The only difference was the short white dress she wore. It looked really out of the place in the Underworld, with frills lining the bottom and a large ribbon the back visible even from their view. Honoka had to admit that it almost ruined how the situation felt.

Kanan chuckled and nodded. "I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon, Four Seasons. But I ended up having to push some plans forward. I did not expect your friends in your world to reach me so quickly." She smirked. "They'll all be long dead before you get back though."

"You…!" Honoka prepared to strike but the voice of her friend stopped her.

"Honoka-chan!" Honoka turned to look at the brunette who stepped up next to her, eyes glowing a deep red. "You…"

Kanan held her arms out wide. "Can you see, Witness? Gaze upon me. And surrender yourself. Surely you, with the eyes of Fourth, must realize… that you stand no chance." She motioned towards Honoka with one of those arms. "You, Kousaka Honoka, the singularity created by Fourth, the key to the end, the key to the beginning." She turned her eyes to Hanayo. "Koizumi Hanayo, the Witness. Fourth entrusted his very eyes to you and with them… his true power. To think that he was foolish enough to betray me. To think that he was foolish enough to trust our secret and even his own eyes… to humans."

"I don't know what you mean! Who are you really!?" Nothing made sense to her. Kanan was a former Master of the Void as well the form the Void took. But… was she the Void? How did the Void manifest itself? And if she wasn't, then…

"So impatient…" Kanan put a hand to her head and sighed. "Really, I was going to take things slowly. I guess the least I could do is introduce myself." She pondered for a second on how exactly to do that before her eyes met with blue orbs. And those eyes of hers glowed a bright red as a smile once again spread across her lips. "My true name is lost to time. But at the same time my true name is Matsuura Kanan. I am the first Master of Void, a former Master of Void, the Second Demon Lord, the Void."

Honoka could feel the brunette next to her tense and she couldn't blame her. What the hell kind of bomb was that to drop? She swallowed but the saliva almost hurt with how dry her throat felt. The Void, the Second Demon Lord… Nothing was making sense. Autumn had told her that First was dead, so of course Second was a suspect but… what the hell?

She tried her best to keep her calm and spoke in an impressively even voice. "So, it's true… First is dead."

Kanan burst out laughing as soon as the words left her mouth. "Y-You… you are still so foolish… as to ask that question? Haha! I assumed you would have found out so much more." She shook her head and calmed her laughing. "First has been dead for nearly one hundred years, Four Seasons. He died by my very hand." Kanan took a step forward and the ground under her froze over. "First was a fool. Despite everything, he wished for peace between humans and demons. Can you believe it? The apex of idiocy.

So, I led him to his demise at the hands of Matsuura Kanan, the then Master of the Void. Though, well… we are one in the same now, so her hands are mine. Mine are hers. Did you think this was just something that popped out of nowhere? Far from it. Long have I been waiting for my opportunity. And now, so many years later, everything has fallen into place. Come, Four Seasons, Witness. Give yourselves up and I will spare your lives."

"As if! I'll never bow my head to a Demon Lord!"

Kanan sighed and nodded. "I see. Then die." _Something_ stretched out from the girl to strike at Honoka. It was so quick she was almost sure she would die before even realizing what it was. But that something, a mass of darkness, slammed into an invisible barrier in front of the ginger. Honoka looked to her side to see Hanayo, red eyes glowing, nodding at her.

"We're partners. I won't let you fight alone, Honoka-chan."

"Hanayo-chan… Mm! Come on, Hanayo-chan, Yoshiko-chan!"

"So, that's how it's going to be, huh?" Kanan smirked. But that smirk quickly changed to a frown. The air around the place seemed to move a bit before settling. Kanan blinked. "Hmph. I didn't expect this at all. My Demonbrand has been slain. Sun really is as impressive as ever. Well, he was meant as nothing but a distraction anyways. Nothing of value lost. To think I came back for this. Well, I've left your friends in good hands."

"What did you do to them!?"

Kanan merely shrugged. "It appears things are moving faster than I thought." The confident smirk returned, and she nodded. "Do it."

A slash. The ever so slight sound of steel cutting through something. It happened so fast it took a second for Honoka to realize what had happened. She blinked once. Twice. And then the pain set in. Blood spurted from just below her shoulder, where her right arm had been cut off. The black appendage flew high into the air before coming back down, landing in Yoshiko's waiting hand.

"AHHHH!" Honoka had fallen to her knees, screaming in pain. And holy shit was it painful. It was easily the worst pain she had ever felt. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire, every nerve in her body seemed to be fired up at the same time. Her brain felt like it was on the verge of overloading from the pain. She dropped her sword to raise a hand to her arm but looked in horror at where it had been. Hanayo was screaming something to her, tears racing down the brunette's cheeks, but Honoka heard nothing. Her gaze slowly shifted up to Yoshiko.

Yoshiko looked at the black arm in her hand before turning her gaze back towards Honoka. There was sympathy, sorrow, regret, a lot of emotions mixed into her expression. Suddenly sound came back and Honoka could hear Hanayo desperately calling out to her as well as her own screaming. She hadn't even realized she was still screaming. She bit her lip to hold back anymore and stared up at Yoshiko.

"Yoshiko… chan… Why…?"

"Why else?" Kanan answered for her. "Yoshiko obeys the Void. I gave her the power to fight. She has been much more cooperative than we expected of her master. That is why we chose her and not the Master of Void. Now, come, Yoshiko, my heir. Let us take this next step together." Kanan held out her hand and Yoshiko spared one more glance at Honoka before beginning to walk towards Kanan.

"I'm sorry, Honoka." It was quiet and her voice remained neutral. Honoka grabbed her Demonbrand with her hand that was now covered in blood. She had to do something, anything. But in that condition, there was no way she could defeat Yoshiko. And she had to protect Hanayo as well.

_Think, Honoka! What…? What can I do!?_

She looked up one more time at Kanan's confident smirk. Yoshiko was just a few meters away. Time felt like it slowed as the heir to Void looked back at her one more time. And then suddenly lurched.

"Gh!" Kanan's smile faded as she watched the girl lurch in pain and bend over. Yoshiko tried to cover her mouth but when she finally let it open, she threw up a massive amount of blood. "T-This…" Now she stood there, vomiting up anything that would come up. She felt the tingle of magic and the frustration became obvious on her face. She thought back to the only person she would believe could have done something like that to her. She thought back to a certain kiss. "Sun…!"

Now! Now was her only chance! Honoka grabbed her sword, holding it tight in the one hand. It felt strange to not be able to grab it with both hands, but she couldn't let that stop her. Something had given her a chance and she didn't plan on wasting it.

"Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." Kanan held up her hand, shooting another mass of darkness her way but it hit that barrier again, Hanayo stumbling but keeping her footing as she blocked the attack.

"Go, Honoka-chan!"

Honoka didn't need to hear that twice. Yoshiko seemed to know what was going on but when Honoka appeared in front of her, another bout of vomiting wracked her body and she missed her block completely. Honoka closed in, her sword held tightly against her before she thrust it straight through Yoshiko's stomach.

"Whiteout."

* * *

Nozomi stared out her window at the night sky. It was peaceful, too peaceful for how she currently felt. She looked at the display of tarot cards on her bed, spelling out disaster over and over again no matter how many times she shuffled and drew them. She looked at her phone again, to an unanswered text she had sent to Honoka inquiring about her safety.

Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. A chill went down her spine every time she drew the cards. Honoka was in danger. She could feel it. It wasn't just a gut feeling. She didn't believe that. She _knew_ something was wrong. It wasn't that she thought it, she _knew_ it.

Nozomi jumped off her bed and grabbed up her phone. She thought about calling Eli but dialed Nico's number instead. It rang a few times but went straight to her voicemail. She tried again and the same thing happened. Normally she wouldn't think anything of Nico ignoring her calls, it was just part of their friendship. But in this situation, it felt wrong.

For some reason, and this was a gut feeling, she had thought Nico had been acting strange ever since they found out Honoka and Hanayo were alive. Whenever they talked about all that stuff about demons and demon slayers, Nico would always pay the closest attention. She would always be thinking harder than anyone else. Maybe nobody else had noticed her strange behavior, but Nozomi had. She was an expert at knowing things about people that they didn't want her to know after all.

Nozomi tried calling Hanayo. No answer. Nico again. Nothing. Honoka. Nothing. She tried calling Umi to see if she maybe knew what was up with Honoka. They were closer after all. But no answer from her either. She tried Kotori. It rang a few times before the line connected.

"Hello? Nozomi-chan?" Nozomi sighed in relief from finally reaching someone. If nobody had answered her calls that would have thrown her into a whole new state of panic.

"Kotori! I'm so glad you picked up. I've been trying to reach Honoka and I can't. Same goes for some of the others. Do you know what's up? I don't think they turn in this early." There was a pause as it sounded like someone asked Kotori something and she replied to them before Nozomi.

"Did you look at your cards?"

What? That wasn't the response she had been expecting. From what she remembered in the past, Kotori never particularly paid attention to her hobby. Was she interested in tarot cards? Wait, was that really the time for her to be asking about them anyways.

"W-What does that have to do with anything? I need to kno―"

"Nozomi-chan." Kotori's voice was the same as always but Nozomi felt a chill when she spoke this time. It made her freeze up. "Did you check your cards?"

"… Mm."

"And? What did they say?"

"Disaster. I think Honoka is in danger."

"Hehe. Nothing less from the Oracle." Nozomi started to ask what she was talking about, but she heard the voice from before ask Kotori something, this time louder though she still couldn't quite hear what the person was saying.

"Are you with somebody?" Nozomi finally asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Hm? Ah, yeah, sorry about that. I'm with Honoka-chan's Master actually."

That was unexpected. "Eh? That girl we met? Um… Seira-san, was it? Why… are you with her, Kotori?"

There was a pause, this one longer than the other two. She could hear muffled speaking as if Kotori was covering the phone while she spoke. Sitting there in ignorance was starting to frustrate and scare the girl. What the hell was with everybody tonight? Kotori was the last person she expected to start acting so strangely which is why her acting like that was making her even more nervous.

"Kotori! Please! Just tell me what's going on if you know something!" The conversation on the other end stopped.

"Nozomi-chan. Do you want to help Honoka-chan?"

"Wha? Does that mean Honoka really is in some kind of trouble?" No answer. Nozomi could feel the anger threatening to boil over. "Yes! If I can help, I want to! So just tell me what the hell is going on!"

Kotori giggled. "I didn't plan on involving you, Nozomi-chan, but maybe it's for the better. If anybody can counter the Void… the Oracle seems like a good candidate." There was a shift and Kotori assumed she turned the phone on speaker because Kotori's voice grew farther away, and she could also hear another girl's voice. "What do you say, Seira-chan?"

"You knew the Oracle and didn't think to ask for her help earlier? Honestly, I wasn't even sure the Oracle was real. My master used to talk about the previous one, but I never met them."

"Well, now you have the honour of meeting one. And yes, I didn't ask for Nozomi-chan's help. She's a close friend of ours and getting her involved in something dangerous isn't exactly something I want to do. But look, she's already connecting to us through the Void. Isn't that amazing?"

Nozomi titled her head in confusion. The Void? Oracle? "What are you talking about, Kotori? I just called your phone…"

She heard Kotori burst into laughter on the other side. "N-Nozomi-chan. I hate to tell you this, but the Underworld doesn't have cell towers to connect our phones, silly."

"Hey, have you even explained anything to her?"

"Oh, right. Well, now that she's calling, she can probably help us. After hearing what's really going on, don't you think so too, Seira-chan?"

"Kotori!" Nozomi shook her head, trying to calm herself down. All this talk that she didn't understand was really starting to get to her. "Just… tell me what's happening, please."

There was a pause, far too long for Nozomi's comfort. But right when she was about to say something, she heard the girl's soft voice. "Mm. Alright. But it'll put you in danger. Are you okay with that, Nozomi-chan?"

Was she okay with that? How was she supposed to know if she was okay with any of this if she didn't know what the hell was going on? But it didn't look like she was going to get any information unless she agreed. And, if Honoka was in some kind of danger, then she wanted to help her. Even if that meant exposing herself to that same danger. She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of a sudden anxiety that was tickling the back of her mind.

"Yes."

"Mm! Mm! That's what I like to hear, Nozomi-chan!" Kotori giggled and Nozomi heard a thump on the other side. "Ow! W-What was that for, Seira-chan!?"

"Stop messing around! Weren't you the one just telling me that we already wasted too much time talking? Hurry it up! I'd appreciate the Oracle's help but that won't happen if you don't explain what the hell's going on."

Kotori sighed. "Well, unfortunately we don't have a way to get her to the Underworld and to us in time for anything. So, Nozomi-chan. Feel like taking a trip?"

"Eh? Kotori, this isn't the time for―!"

"It is." Kotori cut her off, her voice turning serious for a brief second before going back to its normal cheeriness. "Come on! I'll explain everything on the way but if you don't head out, you won't make it in time!"

Nozomi could already feel a headache coming on. But if this would get her answers, she would go along with her friend. "Fine. Where do I need to go?"

Kotori paused, probably looking over at Seira with a smirk. "The Hallowed Ground of the Second Demon Lord."

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**I wonder if anybody spotted the inconsistency. Foreshadowing, wink wink.**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed. We really are in the homestretch now. Just bear with me!**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	41. Beyond the Open World II

**Wow. It's recently come to my attention that this story is longer than your average novel in terms of word count. Geez. To those of you that still read, you have my thanks. I never thought this story would be this long and I never thought I would have so much fun writing it. But it's coming to its climax. So stick around until the end!**

**Really though, thank you. If people weren't still holding some interest in this story, I wouldn't bother to finish it.**

**And sorry that this chapter kind of jumps around a bit. The next few "Beyond the Open World" chapters will do this. There's a lot going on guys!**

**Also, I switched the spelling of You's name to Yo. Although I prefer to romanize** 曜 **as "You" which I'm sure everybody does, it just makes it easier to read for some people. So I'm going to stick with Yo from now on.**

**Anyways, enjoy.**

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"The former Master of Stars gets betrayed by HQ and decides to work with the Demon Lords? What a story." Nico bitterly spat, her sword close at her hip as Yo laughed.

"Not really. I guess they really did hide it well if none of you know the truth." Her eyes drifted to Maki. "Especially you, Moon, considering you're the daughter of a Head. Your mom probably knows the truth, but I guess it would make sense that she wouldn't tell you." Yo shrugged. "HQ didn't betray me. I betrayed them. The real reason they ordered everybody to hunt me down was because I made a deal with Second."

"Making a deal with a Demon Lord?" Maki spoke up. "Are you crazy? What do you even gain from that?"

Yo titled her head in confusion. "Gain? Who said I wanted to gain anything? Well, I guess you could say I got some stuff from it. In terms of aging, I'm basically immortal, haha. I'd outlive any demon slayer at this point. But that's in part because of…" She paused and smirked, her eyes landing on Erena. "Well, I wouldn't want to spoil anything yet. Second doesn't want me giving _too_ much away. Then again, I guess it won't matter since I'm going to kill all of you."

Everybody in the room tightened their grip on their swords. But it was Setsuna who spoke up first.

"Bring him back…"

"Hm?" Yo turned to her with an innocent look. "What do you mean, Devour-chan?"

"Bring Second back here right now! I'm not done with him! Devour style, 2nd blade." Setsuna dashed in but Yo's smile never faded as she turned, and swung her sword out much faster than the girl moved, letting it glide across Setsuna's chest before Yo completed her turn, raising her leg and kicking the demon slayer into one of the pillars surrounding the dais. Blood poured from the massive gash on Setsuna's chest, but she still stood, though she was obviously shaky on her feet and made no attempt to move towards the girl.

"I wouldn't move much if I were you. You'll lose too much blood if you force yourself." Yo laughed and turned towards the rest of the group. "Who's next?" She looked around and settled her gaze on Maki and Riko. "Moon and… Sun's partner? Come on, you're up next on the chopping block! Ahaha!"

Nico attacked first though, a quick slash at the neck which was easily blocked by Yo. Yo turned her sword and swung, sending Nico's katana out far before bringing her own back in with astonishing speed, the tip aimed at Nico's chest. But it wasn't fast enough. A clear ringing of steel on steel sounded as Nico's sword hit and cracked Yo's Demonbrand, making the girl jump back. She observed the sword with some interest as the crack fixed itself.

"Wow. You actually cracked my Demonbrand with an ordinary katana. I guess they don't call you the Prince of Blades for nothing. The Yazawas really are impressive. I guess I might need to step it up a notch for you. Star style, 9th blade." From all of her inherited experience, Nico could easily sense the blade before it reached her. It was impressive, she admitted. It twisted around, moving in an unpredictable pattern, as if the girl was leading her sword through some strange dance routine that would end on Nico. The strike came quicker than she expected, suddenly breaking out of the mesmerizing sequence. "Serpens."

But once again, Nico slammed her sword out. She felt it make contact with the steel of the girl's Demonbrand and pieces of that steel went flying as the sword was cracked again. This time Nico struck out, meaning to stab straight through Yo's stomach. But as the tip of her sword neared the girl, Yo's eyes glowed red and the sword simply stopped. Nico tried to push it forward, but some invisible force was preventing it from reaching Yo. Nico quickly pulled away and jumped back.

"Huh. Figures you would be able to use the Second Demon Lord's eyes. That's a pretty interesting ability, really makes you seem favoured in a swordfight." Nico shrugged. "I'm sorry to break it to you though. Master of Stars, Demon Lord, it doesn't matter what you are. You idiots changed the Yazawa line into what it is today. You brought on your own downfall here. I have no qualms with killing you, Star. I'll say this once and hopefully you'll get it through your thick skull: You can't beat a Yazawa."

Yo's smile was on in full force. "Haha! Maybe so, maybe so. But where's the fun in not trying? You're the product of memories from the entire Yazawa line of warriors, right? Well, I'm the product of… well, myself, Watanabe Yo, the Master of Stars, the Second Demon Lord and his thousands of years of knowledge, and… Ahaha, no, no. I should hold back for a bit. Come on, Prince, Void, Moon. Do your worst!"

Nico let her eyes drift to Maki and Riko before she looked back at Erena. Erena stood against the wall, arms crossed, blank expression on her face but she smiled when Nico locked eyes with her. She just shrugged and gave the girl a wink. So, Nico probably couldn't count on her for anything offensive. At the least she might be able to defend the other two girls if things got serious.

"Well, I guess I have no choice."

Nico was next to her in the blink of an eye, her sword turning into a slash that Yo easily moved her sword to counter. But instead of blocking the move, she let it slide off her blade and brought her sword back in, reaching for Nico's neck. Nico threw her head back but kept her body in place, immediately coming back in with her sword leading. "Star style, 13th blade." Yo had somehow already gotten herself in the air, but Nico was ready for tricky moves and felt the strike coming from above her long before it even had a chance of hitting her. "Scorpius."

Nico challenged the blade head on, bringing her sword back and swinging it in with a bit of extra strength than she really needed. Yo's sword shattered from the impact, the entire blade breaking into pieces from Nico's strength. Nico's next strike caught the girl's shoulder as she attempted to turn around in the air. Yo flinched but kept her momentum going, planting her feet against one of the pillars and launching herself back where she landed behind the dias.

Her Demonbrand slowly repaired itself and Nico watched in disgust as the wound on her shoulder closed up. Yo never lost her smile and she brought her katana up to rest on her shoulder.

"That was a pretty nice move, Prince. Sorry to break it to you, though. Since I'm part of Second now, attacks like that won't really do much besides bother me. Still, I'll admit that you're going to be troublesome."

"You really have fused yourself with that piece of shit." Nico said, not hiding her disgust.

"Haha! Of course. Well, it gives me more time to play with you guys so go ahead. Strike at me all you want. Everything will heal no matter how many times you hit me. To someone like you, Prince, I'm invincible."

"This… This is what pisses me off so much about you pieces of shit. Every single one of you. Demon Lords, demon slayers, Heads, ugh. Invincible, huh? That's it. That's really it. I'm not just going to kill you. I'm going to destroy every last trace you ever exited on this fucking planet."

Nico moved in again, her sword coming in hard but Yo's eyes glowed red, the sword stopping in the air. Without missing a beat, Nico let go and swung her fist into the girl's face, the distinctive noise of bone cracking echoing through the room as blood spurted from Yo's nose and she stumbled back a few steps. That seemed to do the trick as Nico's sword started to fall. She reached back and grabbed it before continuing forward, slicing a neat deep line up the girl's chest. Nico figured she had pretty much destroyed a few organs with that attack, but this girl was bound to regenerate.

"Nico!" Nico started to turn towards the sound, it was definitely Maki yelling, but she heard something… but not words, from the girl she had just sliced. _Calm, Maki. Calm._ "Moon style, 9th blade."

Nico finished her turn and saw the mass of darkness that rose from the girl's chest, swirling angrily, moving straight for her. Even with her enhanced movement there was no way for her to block it. Hell, it was only an inch from her face by the time she managed to catch sight of it. But Maki's voice reached her ears, a confident word that blew the darkness away.

"Lacus." The strike felt far too slow to save her, but it did. Maki was in front of the twintailed girl before she knew it and she moved forward, continuing to drag that blade through the darkness until she reached the source of it. As she took her last step next to Yo, she dragged the blade down, forcing the last of the darkness that hadn't been blown away back into the girl's chest.

Yo's nose had already repaired itself but she was looking up at Maki with clear shock on her face. "Moon, you… You would lay your hands on the Void!?" Another burst of darkness exited the girl, swirling in hypnotic patterns, filling the space above them. Maki readied her sword.

"Moon sty―" Maki started her blade again, but the darkness contorted, moving away from her before simply dispersing. "Eh?"

"So, that's what this is about." Everybody turned to see the source of the voice. Erena slowly walked towards them. "The Void is just playing games again, is it?" Yo jumped up, her chest healing in an instant, sword back in hand. "So, your newfound power comes only in part from Second, is that it? Ah, the Void has always been fickle, but to think it got so bored as to assist a Demon Lord. Haha."

"Hmph." Yo's confident smile returned but Erena matched it. "Looks like the secret's out. That's right. The Void has already made the decision to fuse with the Second Demon Lord. You've already failed as a Master."

"Pfft. Ahaha!" Erena shook her head, trying to contain her laughter. "A-Are you an idiot? Ah, I need not ask that, right? Of course you are. To think in your idiocy that you would be used by both the Void and Second. It's pitiful."

"Has being betrayed by the Void made you a fool?" Yo held one hand out towards them, the darkness of the Void gathering around it, her eyes glowing a deep red. "Banish them."

"I think you have the wrong idea, Star." The darkness shot out in a torrent towards Erena, blasting over her. But the darkness contorted again, swirling around her, gathering at her hand until it sat in a small black ball, Erena completely unharmed. "The Void chose me. It will not harm me. You believe that you've been chosen by Void, but far from it. You're the fool who has been used by the Void." Yo tried to speak up but Erena continued. "The Void grows bored sometimes. And this is just another something it concocted to ease that boredom. To think that it would keep it a secret from me though. Quite the fun test, if you ask me."

Yo just let out a sigh. "Geez, the Void really is troublesome. To think that it wouldn't harm its Master but at the same time it would side with a Demon Lord. Really… Well…" Another smirk, this one calm and composed. "I didn't really mean to let you see that. I guess the fun is over now. With or without the Void, it won't trouble me to kill you."

"Agh!" Nico prepared to strike at her again, but the scream came from next to her. Maki suddenly fell back, a hand clutching at a deep stab wound in her stomach. When…? Nico hadn't seen any move, nor even sensed movement from the girl. A chill went down her spine. This girl was quicker than even she could sense? In that case, how…?

"Ungh!" The sound of glass shattering and another grunt, this one from across the room. Riko had fallen over, deep cuts clearly evident from the blood falling down her shirt and arms. Once again, an attack so fast that Nico didn't even perceive it as happening. This girl…

Nico had never had reason to doubt herself. As the Prince of Blades, she would go unchallenged by demon slayers and demons alike. Hell, even Demon Lords wanted nothing to do with the Yazawa line and the Yazawa line became the way they had as a result of Demon Lords. But now, in the face of the calm smile of Yo, a girl fused with the Second Demon Lord, Nico felt helpless for the first time. She felt doubt. How had she let Maki and Riko get struck? She should be able to stop those strikes. Why was this girl faster than she could feel?

She was quickly snapped out of her thoughts by a high-pitched sound, metal hitting something right in front of her face but bouncing off. Nico blinked once. Twice. What…? She heard a, "Tsk" from Yo.

"What are you doing, Prince!?" Nico turned to face Riko who was clutching a wound on her chest with one hand, the other held out in her direction. Had she really blocked one of those attacks with a barrier? How had she even seen it? Another strike aimed at Nico bounced off a barrier.

Yo frowned at the redhead. "Hm, you're able to concentrate your barrier at such a precise angle to block my strikes."

Riko gave her best smile despite the pain she was in. "I underestimated you the first time and didn't pinpoint your strike. I won't make that mistake again." She turned her eyes to Nico. "Prince! You're the only one here who can take care of her! Stop spacing out!"

Riko's voice was more forceful than Nico thought she would ever hear from that girl. But she nodded to herself. Now, in the face of this strong opponent, was definitely not the time to be spacing out. She had to protect everybody there. She wouldn't let Maki die. And even Setsuna and Riko. As far as she was concerned, those girls shouldn't even be a part of this world. She sure as hell wasn't going to let them die because they were dragged into it.

With a deep breath, Nico set herself, hand tightly gripping the hilt of her katana and set her eyes on Yo, who finally bothered to turn her gaze back to the raven-haired girl.

"Prince! Your eyes!" It almost took Nico a second too long to realize what she meant. But Riko was a girl who could see demons as a result of her demon blood. She was the partner to Sun. Nico shut her eyes. "I offer my heart."

It was the first time Nico had ever looked through another person's eyes and it felt… odd. She had a few memories of Yazawas doing it in the past, but it was completely different to experience it firsthand. Everything felt clearer. It was odd to see herself but that was fine. Her vision bobbed a little with Riko's heavy breathing and occasional flinch from a pain, but that was fine. She could do this. She loosened her grip on her sword before grabbing it tightly again. Everything felt right. In fact, looking through those eyes gave her some strange confidence. She felt a smirk make its way onto her face.

"It's time for me to show you why the Demon Lords are doomed to fail. You were an idiot for joining them in the first place. It's about time I put you in your place."

Yo just snorted in response. Then everything felt slightly slower. Through Riko's eyes, Nico could see Yo preparing her sword. Combined with her normal senses, she could tell exactly where the blade would be. Or maybe that was just Riko's eyes. Were her eyes that good? Just how much had she trained in her time as Sun's partner? Regardless, if she could see the strikes, she could block them. The strike was headed straight for Riko but the girl didn't even attempt to put a barrier up. But she didn't need to. Nico struck out, knocking that blade away long before it had a chance of reaching Riko.

Her body felt lighter, her mind felt sharper. Everything felt right. She had to wonder if Sun felt like that every time she fought with her partner. Nico laughed to herself, thinking that if she could feel like that every time she had to fight demons, she might not actually mind it.

Nico brought her sword up to bare, smiling at the scowl on Yo's face.

"Alright, Watanabe Yo, Master of Stars. Let's see if you can really keep up with the Prince of Blades."

* * *

"…er!"

A sound echoed in the darkness of Mari's mind, bouncing around invisible walls, filling her head briefly before vanishing.

"…ster!"

She didn't have time to consider where it came from before it sounded again, louder this time. It was enough to give her a headache and make want to say, "five more minutes."

"Master!"

Mari's eyes opened and she sat up in an instant, her katana appearing in her hand. Where was she? A quick look around and she quickly recognized Seira's apartment. That made her relax a bit. She turned to see Tsubasa next to her. Mari was sitting on the couch and her heir was kneeling next to her, a look of relief on her face.

"Tsubasa? Why…?"

"Master! I've been trying to contact you for so long! I finally got tired of waiting for a response and closed in on the sound of your breathing. That wasn't easy in an entire city full of people, you know."

Mari felt a little pride in the fact that her heir had been able to track her down using nothing but the sound of her breathing. But that pride quickly faded as the girl's words registered with her. As soon as they did, memories came flooding back. She had attempted to go to the Underworld with Seira but her lover had kissed her then… nothing. A flash of anger came over her and she jumped up.

"That damn…"

"Master?"

"I've been asleep for way too long, Tsubasa. Looks like we're going to have a mess on our hands."

Tsubasa started to ask what she meant when a knock sounded on the door. They both looked at each other before cautiously making their way to the door, katanas in hand. Mari had no doubt that nobody who wasn't affiliated with Seira would knock on that door, but it didn't hurt to be cautious. She opened it slightly and peeked out to see a purple-haired girl standing there, clearly out of breath.

"Ah… um…" She took a second to compose herself. "Are you Ohara Mari-san?"

"Eh?" Mari opened the door fully and pulled her in quickly before shutting it. "How do you know who I am?"

Nozomi tried to think of the best thing to say. She still wasn't very clear on what exactly was happening, but Kotori had promised her a better explanation once she got this girl's help. She thought about what her friend had told her to say and she figured that would be better than nothing. Nozomi wasn't the best actor but she had improved since she had joined the drama club at her university. So she figured now was the time to put some of that to use. She straightened herself and took one more deep breath before beginning.

"My name is Toujou Nozomi. I'm here at the request of Minami Kotori and Kazuno Seira." Mari perked up at the name of her lover. "They need my help. And I need your help."

"You..." Mari had so many questions, but she was still suspicious of this girl. "Who are you exactly, Toujou-san? A demon slayer?"

Nozomi shook her head, doing her best to keep any nerves from her voice and keeping a stoic face. "I'm the Oracle."

"Eh?" Tsubasa's eyes were just as wide as her master's. "The Oracle…? Void's?"

Nozomi just nodded. "You two are Sound, right? I need your help."

"With what? What could Seira possibly want from me?" Mari could feel that anger coming back and Nozomi flinched slightly at the tone of her voice. Well, Seira did warn her that the girl would be really angry at the mention of her name.

Nozomi finally relented, giving up her act and sighing. "Look. I don't know much about what's going on either. I just found out I'm this 'Oracle' or whatever. But Seira-san really does need your help. We don't have the luxury of time, which is part of the reason I came to you. I'll explain everything on the way."

Mari was hesitant but she nodded at Tsubasa and the two followed her out the apartment.

"So, what do you mean you need me because we don't have the luxury of time?"

Nozomi gave her a look like it was obvious. "Seira-san said you have a helicopter."

* * *

"Ghh!" Honoka cringed as she felt Yoshiko throw up blood all over her back, but she kept her position for a few more seconds before finally taking a step back, tearing her sword from the girl's stomach, blood and bits of something that she could only assume was the girl's stomach coming with it. As soon as the sword left her stomach, Yoshiko kicked out, knocking the ginger back. "Y-You…" She struggled to speak, blood pouring from her mouth and her new wound.

As Honoka hit the ground, she heard a slight _clink_ and a realization hit her. She reached into the coat and took out one of the elixirs given to her by Hime which, luckily, had traveled to the Underworld with their other belongings. She had completely forgotten about them but with a severed arm, it could well save her life. She pulled the cork off with her mouth and drained the liquid. The pain almost instantly subsided and the bleeding slowed as the wound slowly sealed itself up. But then something else hit her. She was fine? Her eyes drifted back to Kanan who simply stood with her arms crossed, watching the ginger closely, her eyes never drifting to her heir who was now on her knees.

"Hmph. A fool dies a fool's death, Yoshiko." Kanan walked over to her and reached down, picking up the black appendage that the girl had dropped.

"V-Void, you…" Yoshiko reached out towards the girl, her face a mixture of pain and anger. Kanan snorted and kicked her, sending the heir to Void flying back a few feet where she weakly groaned, shifting only slightly on the ground, blood immediately beginning to pool around her.

Even though Honoka was the one who struck her, she felt a little bad for Yoshiko. But there wasn't time to think about that. Kanan smiled as she sized up the arm in her possession.

"Good. Good. Now," She turned to look at Hanayo. "Come, Witness, Koizumi Hanayo. You are the final piece of the puzzle. Come to me now and I will spare your life. You can become part of the Void and live forever." Kanan held a hand out and smiled confidently. "Abandon humanity and come. This battle is over."

Hanayo looked over to her friend and partner who was back on her feet now, katana gripped firmly in her remaining hand once again. She looked Hanayo's way and nodded, a confident smile on her face despite the situation. Hanayo couldn't help but giggle, earning a frown from Kanan.

"I'm sorry, Kanan-san." Her eyes started to glow a bright red once again and she moved to stand beside her partner. "But this battle is not over. And I'll stick with Honoka-chan until the end."

Kanan slowly lowered her hand and sighed. "I thought perhaps you might be smarter than this. If you wish to die with Four Seasons, then I will grant your wish. I need only your eyes, so your life is of no consequence to me."

Honoka smirked at that. "Hanayo-chan, take one of these." She nodded to her jacket and the brunette reached in, taking one of the many vials. "In case something happens." Honoka gave her a wink and her partner blinked a couple of times before nodding in understanding.

"I'll be supporting you the whole time, Honoka-chan."

"Mm. I'm counting on it." Honoka turned back toward Kanan. "Well, I'm really going to have to thank Hime-chan for these elixirs later. Ah, man, fighting with one arm is gonna be weird. But I'm in good enough shape. Good enough to kick the ass of a cocky Demon Lord."

A mass of darkness began forming behind Kanan. It slowly swirled around her, covering her like a shroud. "I see." That was the only response she gave before that darkness shot forward, a torrent of pure nothingness that Honoka was sure would either destroy her body or drag her into the deepest depths of the Void, neither of which was an appealing option. She looked down at her Demonbrand and smiled.

_Come on, Autumn. Let's show Kanan what you're really made of._

"Four seasons, autumn style, 1st blade." Hanayo marveled at what she could see. Red and orange leaves flowing in a nonexistent wind, surrounding the ginger. As she took a step forward, leaves burst up from under her, those leaves falling unnaturally slowly around Honoka. The gentle swing of her blade moved just between the falling leaves, not severing a single one. It was a beautiful scene, surreal in light of where they were. "Fall."

Hanayo couldn't help but feel like that darkness, the nothingness that she could only assume to be the Void felt… wrong. Something was off about it. It was different than the almost strangely peaceful sense she got from the Void that had wrapped around Yoshiko before. It felt violent, rash, hurried… it didn't feel like what she had come to know as the Void at all.

Regardless, she didn't have much time to think about it as Honoka's strike completely wiped that darkness away, replacing it with a cool breeze that carried the red and orange of Autumn along it. Kanan didn't seemed surprised by the blade, but only tilted her head for a second before stretching her arms above her.

"I guess this really will come down to a fight between demon slayers. After all, there was a time when I was one as well." The darkness of the Void appeared once again and Kanan reached out, taking out her own katana, the sheath a simple pure black. "As a former Master of the Void, I suppose I'll have to teach you a thing or two. Come, Four Seasons. I'll deliver your death swiftly."

Honoka took a deep breath and pointed her katana forward. It didn't make sense to her, but she felt a smile on her face once again. Why would she be smiling in this situation? She was hopelessly outpowered by this… thing. Maybe she could take on the Second Demon Lord by himself. Maybe she could have the slightest chance at beating a former Master of Void. And maybe even… the Void itself. But altogether. She really had a tall order in front of her. But maybe that's why she smiled, she thought. No matter what, after coming to terms with dedicating her life to the blade, she found herself excited by battles. No matter how scary it might be, no matter who or what her opponent was, there would never be a time where the thrill didn't fill her.

"I, Kousaka Honoka, heir to the Four Seasons, Daughter of Autumn, will take you on!"

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed!**

**Once again, I'm sorry if you don't like the format where it's jumping between three or four different scenarios. But there's a lot happening and I kind of want to parallel it instead of making an entire chapter focused on Honoka fighting, then an entire chapter focused on Nico's fight, etc.**

**Also, sorry this took a bit to get done. I was finishing up a chapter for Normality in Reverence as well as dealing with uni stuff. So chapters are kind of infrequent right now.**

**Thank you for reading up until this point and I hope you'll stick around to see how everything ends.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	42. Beyond the Open World III

**Wow, this chapter turned out longer than I thought it would (around 6,000 words). I had a decent bit I wanted to fit in this chapter. And there is a lot of information that's going to be dumped on your really quickly. Sorry about that.**

**The next two chapters will be the real "climax" of the story, so stay tuned!**

**I hope you guys enjoy.**

* * *

Nozomi held onto her seat for dear life, hoping to whatever god or gods that were out there that she would remain strapped in and not fly from the helicopter. She looked outside one more time and regretted it instantly. Everything was passing by in a blur, it was impossible to even tell what kind of landscape they were over. This wasn't what she had in mind when Seira told her their location was, with Sound's help, just a "short helicopter ride away."

"R-Really, what is this!? I'm pretty sure helicopters aren't meant to go this fast!" She screamed while turning to face the blonde pilot.

Mari just shrugged. "We're moving at the speed of sound, so yeah, helicopters definitely aren't meant to travel this fast. But it's fine. Sound won't tear this thing apart. We'll be fine."

"Fine!?"

"Oh, come on. Just think of it like a rollercoaster." Tsubasa, who was standing behind Nozomi without anything to strap her in, laughed and put what she thought was a reassuring hand on the purplenette's shoulder.

Just as Nozomi was sure she was going to barf, everything suddenly slowed, and they were moving at a normal speed once again. She looked out the window. A large hilly forest was spread underneath them, stretching out for as far as she could see from her window.

"Are we really already there?" Nozomi asked in astonishment. She had been given the location by Seira but… "Is this really South Korea?"

"That's right. Bukhansan National Park, to be exact. Assuming Seira told you the correct coordinates, we should be coming up on the place shortly. Tsubasa, if you will."

"Yes, Master." Tsubasa slid open the side door, the inside instantly being filled with the shrill sounds of the wind.

"W-What is she…?"

"Shh. Just let my heir work."

Tsubasa summoned her Demonbrand and smirked confidently as she held it straight up. She took a deep breath and gently tapped the bottom of the sheath against the floor of the helicopter, the sound of metal hitting metal briefly ringing out. Tsubasa closed her eyes and concentrated on the sound, following it as far as she could. Nozomi stared at her with curiosity.

"I found it." She confirmed a few seconds later. "There's a place where no sound reaches. It's not large, a clearing with maybe… a thirty meter diameter?" Tsubasa moved back up to the seats, leaning over and pointing out an area to Mari. "It's not possible to see while we're outside of it, but I'm sure it's there."

"Are you going to land this thing there?" Nozomi asked incredulously. "Aren't there people down there probably wondering what the hell a helicopter is doing up here? And we're just going to land in the middle of a national park? Won't this cause some kind of incident?" Even Nozomi thought she was being overly cautious and unlike herself, but she still felt so shook from the entire situation that she couldn't help it.

"Listen, Oracle. When you come and tell me that Seira's trying to prevent some potentially world-ending disaster, I'm going to do whatever I can to help. If that means a few people might see me land this helicopter, I think it's worth it."

Tsubasa giggled as Nozomi's defeated sigh. They flew closer to the area the heir of Sound pointed out and she gave them a quick warning right before the helicopter passed through something. It was hard for Nozomi to explain how it felt. It was like a light pressure on her chest for just a moment, but it left her feeling… wrong, like she shouldn't be there. Luckily, the landing went a lot smoother than the rough trip there and, sure enough, they were in the middle of clearing that they couldn't see before.

Nozomi tensed as soon as she stepped foot into the grass. Something was wrong. Something felt absolutely dreadful about being there. A cold feeling sank in her stomach and the urge to vomit almost resurfaced. But something else stirred in her. A warm feeling that quickly spread throughout her entire body. But it felt wrong, unnatural. She swallowed as she watched Mari and Tsubasa looking around.

"Hm. I can definitely feel the irregular mana here." Mari commented, summoning her Demonbrand to her side. "It feels like this place is off. Fitting for the birthplace of a Demon Lord, I suppose." She turned her attention back to Nozomi. "Well? Contact her again, Oracle. You said she would explain the rest when we got here, right?" She was tapping her foot impatiently and the anger that had been present when Nozomi first mentioned Seira was back. "I have a few choice words for that girl anyways."

Nozomi nodded and took out her cellphone, scrolling to Kotori's contact and pressing call. Tsubasa stared at her with confusion at the fact that she was trying to use a cellphone to connect with someone in the Underworld, but when she saw her master just watching with a serious look, she decided that not saying anything was probably better.

"Nozomi-chan? Are you there already?"

"Mm. And Ohara-san and Tsubasa are with me too."

"Put it on speaker." Mari demanded and Nozomi sighed before doing as she was told. "Seira, when I see you again, we're going to have a nice lo―"

"Silence, Sound." Kotori's voice changed tone so quickly it sent a shiver down the spines of all three present. "I don't care about your lovers' quarrel. Do as your told or I'll have to handle you myself."

After Mari recovered from the initial shock of the girl's voice, she stood straight. "You must be Minami Kotori, correct? Just who the hell are you?"

"That's none of your concern. All you need to know are the instructions you are to follow."

"I don't―"

"Shut up!" Kotori's voice boomed through the phone and it did its job of stopping Mari mid-sentence. "I'm not dealing with your shit, Ohara Mari! If you want to let all of humanity die because you want to act like a spoiled child, then I'll let your heir handle this!"

"Let's try and stay calm, Kotori-chan." Nozomi said, managing to keep her voice steady after the near heart attack the girl's voice almost induced on her.

Kotori cleared her throat. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, Nozomi-chan. Regardless, answer me now, Sound. Are you willing to work with us or not? We don't have the luxury of time at the moment."

Mari still looked pissed but shook her head. Her first duty was as a demon slayer, after all. "Fine. Tell me the situation properly."

"Good. First of all, Second is confronting the heir to the Four Seasons and the Witness as we speak. By now, Void has probably already betrayed Four Seasons."

"Betrayed?"

"Mm. The Void itself has merged with Second making him pretty much unstoppable. Though I expected that the heir to Void would stand by Honoka-chan's side, I believe Second is threatening her with something. Either way, the point is that the heir to Void and the Void itself are not on our side, but rather Second's. Next, what is Second after? I've known for a while but was unable to do anything about it. But that can wait. Let's just leave it at 'world-ending' status. He already has one piece to his puzzle. If he gets the Witness' eyes, it's basically over."

"And how am I supposed to help with that?"

"You're helping with something much more important. I believe that Second will get those eyes, one way or another, and begin what he intends to do. We have our own plan to stop him, but we'll need your help. Also, in case anything goes poorly, we'll need the power of Sound to prevent the world from tearing apart."

Mari cringed at the thought. "Alright. What do we need to do then?"

"Mm. Seira and I are almost at the right coordinates in the Underworld to be directly parallel to the Hallowed Ground of the First Demon Lord on the surface. Once we arrive, we'll need you to transfer the essence of Second from his Hallowed Ground through the Oracle to us."

"Wha―? What are you planning to do exactly!?"

She could practically hear the smirk in Kotori's voice. "We have but one advantage right now: Second truly believes that the First Demon Lord is dead. In fact, everybody does."

"I don't―"

"And I don't have time to explain it to you. This is our only chance at saving this world. Hmph. That's right. It's time to bring back the First Demon Lord."

* * *

Riko had to do her best not to flinch every time their blades clashed. Despite using her eyes and despite Nico's previous confidence, her swings were consistently being blocked or deflected by Yo. The Master of Stars had lost her playful smile and now wore a serious expression with every swing. Nico's face was contorted in anger but Riko didn't feel that the twintailed girl was truly in danger. After all, even though she failing to land a hit on Yo, the Master of Stars hadn't landed a hit on her either. It was a vicious back and forth.

The pillars hadn't been lucky enough to survive the struggle. Neither had the dais. Every time steel hit steel, the force cracked the ground underneath them and threatened to collapse the pocket dimension they resided in. It vaguely reminded Riko of watching Chika fight Yoshiko except on a whole different level. Unlike Chika more… wild style, Nico used a controlled style, her hits precise and quick but not lacking in power. Yo was much the same, every hit seeming calculated, perfectly performed even though it was blocked. They were trapped in a battle of equal skill.

Even the use of Yo's eyes weren't enough to turn the tide of the battle. Every time she stopped Nico's sword, Nico was either dodging or moving in for a strike in a different manner. She would twist around one blade only to dodge another that Riko could see from a completely different angle. The occasional strike would be thrown Riko's way, but she could easily block it with a highly concentrated tiny barrier. As long as Nico could keep Yo's focus on her, there was no chance Riko wouldn't be able to block whatever came her way.

She debated on trying to help Maki who she could hear groaning in pain, but it would be impossible to do that while keeping her eyes on the fight. And in that moment, Nico needed her eyes. Nico may be the Prince of Blades, but her lack of actual practice was showing. Even if she claimed that she lost no skill, it was obvious that she hadn't been in a particularly challenging battle in a long time. Her movements weren't quite as sharp as Yo's but she could make up for that in power. And with Riko's eyes, it made it an even match.

Something caught her attention from the corner of her sight. There was a slight movement, but she was too busy focusing her sight on the battle to shift her attention towards it. That was, until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't turn around… ugh… keep your eyes on the battle."

"D-Devour?" When had Setsuna moved? How had she even moved with her wound? Riko was surprised she hadn't lost consciousness given the amount of blood she must have lost by then.

"Quiet. Don't speak. My blade may hide me, but it can't hide your voice. If you're worried about me, don't be." She said as if reading the redhead's mind. "I have an idea… But I'll need you to stay focused for it to work." Her voice picked up a bit and even though Riko didn't look back to confirm, she felt like there was a genuine smile on Setsuna's face. "Now, don't flinch."

"Eh? What are you going to do?"

"Quiet."

A hand slid over her neck making her shiver, but she kept her eyes focused. Setsuna must have leaned close because she could feel the girl's hot breath on her neck. "I'm going to devour your wounds." Something sharp stuck her in the neck and it took everything Riko had not to scream in surprise and then even more to not scream in pain. It hurt, really bad. It felt like fire was burning through her body and tears started falling from her eyes, but she kept them open, kept them on Nico and Yo. The pain was intense, but it was also brief. The next moment, she felt fine, even better than before. Once again, she didn't check, but she no longer felt pain from her wounds.

"Now…" She heard labored breathing behind her, and it sounded like Setsuna grunted in pain when she moved. "I'm going to save… Moon… And that bastard, Sixth… Just… hang on a bit…"

Maki was only half-conscious in a pool of blood around her. Setsuna had to get to work quick. The redhead only groaned as Devour leaned down to get her teeth on her neck. She covered the girl's mouth and she was glad she did when the redhead's eyes shot open wide and she struggled to scream. The pain was probably nothing like what she had ever felt or would ever feel again. But it was necessary.

After just seconds, Setsuna lifted her hand and turned her head to the side coughing an ugly stain of blood onto the floor.

"Tch."

"Who…?" Maki started to speak but Setsuna quickly covered her mouth again.

"Listen closely, Moon. Move to the partners of Sun's side. Don't speak. Don't do anything unnecessary. Got it?"

Maki nodded and Setsuna removed her hand before trudging off, staggering with every step as she approached the final victim of the fight.

Umi was writhing in pain herself as Sixth tried to use what little power he could to heal her wounds faster. It wasn't doing much. The fact that he was inside of her instead of giving her his blood meant he couldn't exactly give her better regeneration. She practically jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on her shoulder and almost again when she turned her head and saw no one there.

"W-What…?"

"Quiet. We… don't have time for this. Don't speak. Don't react. Just stay calm." Setsuna wasted no time sinking her teeth into Umi's neck, the bluenette gasping but keeping from screaming. The pain was so intense she thought she might blackout, but it was gone as soon as it started. "Listen, Sixth. Don't speak. My blade only keeps me hidden. Your eyes, do you still have them? Tell your host and let her nod or shake her head."

There was a pause before Umi shook her head.

"Tch. I should have figured…" Setsuna flinched in pain, grateful that the bluenette couldn't see her. "Speak. Where are they?"

"**You well know where they are, Devour.**"

Setsuna wanted so bad to punch him but punching the innocent bluenette didn't sit well with her. Then something hit her. "Ugh. I was hoping I was wrong, but…" She looked Umi in the eyes. "So, you then? Even though you haven't fused with his body, you have his eyes?" Umi half-shrugged. "I guess we just have to activate them now then." A wide smirk spread across her face.

"**Impossible. Sonoda Umi does not have demon blood.**"

"Ha. You should know well that you don't need to receive demon blood that way, Sixth. We have plenty of it right here. But first…"

Setsuna reached forward, her blade faltering and revealing her to the room once again as blood burst from her hand. Umi blinked once and looked towards the girl's bloody hand which now hung limp. And now that she could see her, Setsuna looked far worse than she had when she had been struck before. Wounds covered her body, wounds that weren't there before. Her chest rose and fell rapidly and heavily. Blood leaked from her mouth which she wiped away with her uninjured hand. All eyes fell to the centre of the room where Nico and Yo stood, neither attacking, Yo's eyes staring them down. Riko, and therefore Nico, also looked over to the girl.

"Hmph, I knew something was up when you vanished. I didn't think one of your blades would even be able to hide you from Second's eyes. But in the end, you're going to fail because you wish to protect these girls. I thought the way of the Devouring Sword was to look out for oneself?"

"Heh. I'm not an idiot, Star. Even the Devouring Sword knows what I can and can't do alone. After all, we're merely a tool."

"A tool?"

"A sword is naught but a tool. Our Demonbrand and the Devouring Sword are no exception. They are but tools to be used to kill the Demon Lords. Our sole purpose as demon slayers is to put an end to you."

Yo gave the girl a quizzical look and sighed, bringing her katana up to rest on her shoulder. "You are aware that killing the Demon Lords won't make demons magically disappear, right? We didn't create them. We were simply born to rule over them. Well, more or less rule." Yo coughed and laughed. "Damn, I'm really getting used to being part of Second if I'm referring to myself like that. Geez. I guess it had been a while."

Setsuna raised her hand and examined the bleeding before gently licking at it. "You are nothing more than that, Star. Though I call you so, you have lost the right to call yourself the Master of Stars. That time is far behind you now. You are just a piece of the Second Demon Lord who has lost its right to be considered an individual."

Nico tensed as if Yo would jump at the girl but instead she just laughed again. "I guess you're right in a sense." She shrugged. "Once this is all over, I'll be separated from him anyways. He'll no longer have a use for me, and I won't for him." She covered her mouth. "Ah, maybe I shouldn't have said that. Well, it doesn't much matter now. Let's show a little individuality then. I'll tell you Second's real plan, his goal." Everybody's eyes opened wide at that. "Taking over the overworld? Fusing the Underworld with it? Nonsense. His wish is simple." She pointed above her. "He's going to go beyond this world."

Silence followed and Yo soaked in it as if happy that she was able to shock everybody. But Setsuna burst out laughing. "Ahaha! B-Beyond? Ah, I can't breathe. I never thought Second was that stupid."

"You think it's that stupid, Devour? I assure you it's very possible."

Setsuna shook her head. "I'm not questioning if it's possible or not. I'm telling you that the method is stupid. Fourth really fucked up his plans, didn't he? Hiding the keys within Four Seasons and Koizumi Hanayo. To think he left parts of his grand plan in the hands of someone who would betray him. Sad, really."

Yo could only give her a shrug. "Does it matter? Second is going to kill Four Seasons and the Witness anyways. After that, there will be no chance of stopping us. You can kill me, but it won't really make a difference. It's impossible for Four Seasons to kill him."

"Well, I suppose that's probably true…" Setsuna flinched. The pain was starting to get to her. She wouldn't last too long. Their only choice was to put this to an end as quickly as possible. The smirk came back and she lifted her bloody hand up once again. "Sonoda Umi, I hope you can forgive me for this." Setsuna placed her lips on the wound and sucked blood straight out, filling her mouth. Even Yo visibly cringed at that but she wasn't waiting to find out what was going to happen.

A blade struck a barrier right next to Setsuna's head who didn't even flinch.

"So you still get in my way, partner of Sun."

Nico jumped in front of the redhead and held her sword up. "You'll have to get through me first."

Their eyes all turned back to Setsuna as she gargled a laugh through the blood in her mouth, the red liquid dripping down her chin as she turned to the bluenette.

"W-What are you?" Setsuna got down on one knee and roughly pressed her lips into Umi's, forcing her own blood into the girl's mouth. Umi looked like she was going to be sick and faint at the same time. She tried to push the girl off but Setsuna held her strong and she had no choice but to swallow the blood. It felt like an eternity to Umi before Devour finally pulled away

"Y-You…" Umi's breath came in labored gasps and her stomach churned. But she also felt a burning in her head, a fuzziness that prevented coherent thought.

Setsuna stood and smiled down at her. "Sorry. You wouldn't have swallowed it otherwise, right? Now…" Her fingers gently caressed Umi's chin, tilting her head to look up at her. And Setsuna stared directly into glowing red orbs. "Now it's time for us to go on the offensive."

* * *

_It hurts. I don't stand a chance, do I? But if I give up now, if I die now… everything will be for naught. I have to fight. No matter how many times she strikes me down, I have to keep getting back up._ Honoka's thoughts ran at a million miles a second as she swallowed the umpteenth elixir before picking her sword back up and standing. The wounds from the last hit she took slowly healed but they healed noticeably slower than the last few times she had downed one of the potions.

"Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." Honoka dashed in, turning around where she thought the sword of her opponent would strike from, but she couldn't have been more wrong. Kanan simply vanished from her sight and a sharp pain erupted in her side as she was sent flying. "Ugh!" She rolled several feet before coming to a stop. A massive gash had opened her side up. She dropped her sword to reach for another elixir and downed it, the gash beginning to close.

Kanan sighed. "Do you intend to simply destroy your body with elixirs? I am more than willing to watch you die a miserable death by overdosing on those, but that would be no fun. Come. Bring Autumn in its fullest force. You became hesitant after I stopped your first blade. Is that all it takes to destroy Kousaka Honoka's confidence? Pitiful. Tell me. Because if you intend to kill yourself, I will end you right now instead."

"I'm not―!" Honoka moved to stand but staggered as a pain went through her stomach. "Guh!" The need to puke her guts out suddenly filled her but when she let it go, only blood came out of her mouth.

"Hmph. You're already overdosing then. Ha… This fight won't last much longer then. What a disappointment."

"No!" Honoka pushed down the urge to vomit, shakily getting to her feet. "I won't… I won't back down! Four seasons, autumn style, 2nd blade, dancing under the red leaves." There was no need to rush in. her body would collapse on her if she kept that up. She could take things lowly while still delivering powerful blows. Her first swing was met with an effortless parry by Kanan who seemed less than entertained.

"Void style, 3rd blade, last words."

"Four seasons, spring style, 5th blade, Spring breeze." Despite the force of the blow, Honoka was still able to lead that blade away even though she had no hope of counterattacking. "Four seasons, summer style, 1st blade, Lammas." Kanan held out her hand, the darkness of the Void coalescing around her and shooting out from behind her in droves, a wave of darkness that threatened to crash over the ginger. Yoshiko had told her not to use it and, if she thought she had a choice, she might agree. But now wasn't the time to be heeding the words of somebody who had betrayed her. She changed her grip on the sword ever so slightly. "Four seasons, autumn style, 5th blade." The darkness washed over her, but it was gone in a flash. "Tsukimi."

However, this time Honoka felt it, felt what Yoshiko and the Void were likely worried about. A shift, just slightly. But she definitely felt it. Everything around them felt like it shifted ever so slightly, like it was moving so slowly that she couldn't see it, but she was still aware of the movement somehow. It felt wrong. She noted Kanan's eyebrows raised at the sight of the blade, but a frown quickly settled on her face.

"Are you an idiot? Did we not already warn you about using that blade?"

"What… was that?" Honoka looked around, still not quite sure what exactly had happened.

"You're splitting the veil between the worlds, you imbecile. Tch. That blade was originally meant to temporarily open a way into the Underworld, but it became something much different. A blade that is capable to cutting through space and time. Of course that would come with repercussions. Perhaps it is safe to use in the overworld, but here… Well, feel free to use it if you don't mind possibly opening a giant gaping hole for demons to flow into your world through."

Honoka remembered the words of her master from long ago. "To cut and sever…" She mumbled slowly, mulling over the words. So the blade had the ability to sever the veil between the worlds? Was that even possible? She had never heard of anything like it before. And Seira had apparently forgotten to tell her that very important detail. Honoka thought she understood Autumn, but far from it. Despite being chosen by the season, there was still so much she didn't know. But there was one thing she knew: this blade could bring her victory. "Heh…" She pointed her sword forward. "Sometimes we have to take risks. If I don't kill you now, everybody will die."

Kanan frowned and shook her head. "Well, it's possible, I won't deny it. But killing humanity is not my intention."

"Huh? Don't give me that bullshit!"

"If my plans were as small as that, I well could have killed every human without even bothering with something this grand. You idiots really are out of your league if you couldn't even figure something like that out. Well, I had long planted false information all around. Ever since Fourth betrayed me, I knew that I would be on my own. It was only a matter of time before First did as well. And now look at where I am. I alone stand at the top. Those fools. In the end, they favoured humanity instead of reaching farther."

Kanan smirked and held up Honoka's severed arm. "In the end, you are nothing but a fool either. Fourth hid it right inside of you and yet you had no idea. Do you even know what lies within this arm? The truth, Four Seasons, the truth lies within this arm. Proof of the Outside."

"The… what?"

"The key to leaving this world. The key to reaching the space beyond this world, the origin of the styles, the origin of the Void itself. This world, both the overworld and the Underworld have grown… tiresome. These worlds are full of nothing but savages and fools. And I was once a fool that was satisfied with that. But the Void showed me more, it showed me possibilities. The Void gave me glimpses of what lies beyond this world, what lies right at our fingertips, but we are too afraid to grasp. No longer, Four Seasons. I will destroy the very wall that keep this world closed and open it to all that may lie beyond."

Honoka wasn't exactly sure what to say. What could she say? Beyond this world? The origin of the styles? What did any of that mean? That there was a world outside of their own? She shook her head. It didn't matter. It never did. All she knew is that if it meant sacrificing this world, she wouldn't let it happen.

"I won't let you sacrifice humanity for something so stupid. I don't care if you want to escape this world, but I love it! I love my family and my friends and everybody else who lives in this world! So I'm not going to let you take it from us!"

"And what will you do to stop me, Kousaka Honoka? Your only weapon capable of scratching me is Autumn and now you realize that even that is useless against me. And look at you. Between the injuries and overdosing on elixirs, you're as good as dead already. Or perhaps…" Kanan chuckled and motioned to her left. "You led me quite far from my heir. Did you not think I would notice that the Witness stayed behind while you fought? You are both fools for saving my heir. And even more so for believing that she might be able to assist you. I am the Void, Honoka. Yoshiko will not injure me."

Kanan audibly cracked her neck and brought her sword to bare once again. "Now then, I've spent enough time talking. I was more just curious if you would collapse before we even got the chance to fight again but it looks like you still have a few hits left in you. Come, Honoka, Four Seasons, Autumn. See if you can cut me."

Honoka tightened her grip on her sword but didn't move. There was no way she could defeat Kanan. She knew that now. Even if she managed to get one hit in, it would be meaningless. Kanan, the Void, Second, they were too powerful. By herself there wasn't much she could do. But…

"We'll see about that. Let's see if your words really hold true! Four seasons, winter style, 1st blade." Honoka dashed in but she could see the disappointed look on Kanan's face.

"So you even don't recognize that Autumn is your only choice now. Die then, Daughter of Autumn. Void style, 2nd blade."

"Void style, 1st blade." A strong wind, something that shouldn't exist in the Underworld, blew past them, tossing Kanan's hair out as her eyes drifted to the side. For just a brief second, she saw the smirk of Yoshiko's face before her blade was countered perfectly. "Null."

The girl was gone in an instant, replaced by Honoka whose blade easily penetrated Kanan's stomach. "Whiteout." She knew better than to push her luck and quickly pulled it out, jumping back before Kanan could strike her, but the dark-haired girl hadn't even attempted to. She merely looked down at the wound in her stomach, leaking darkness instead of blood, a dark fog that pooled onto the ground before simply vanishing. The wound sealed up quickly with no problem and Kanan's eyes slowly moved up to stare at the two girls who now stood side by side.

"Is Hanayo-chan fine?"

"Your partner is safe. She is just too slow for me to take care of while attacking."

"That's fine then."

"… Why did you save me, Four Seasons?"

Honoka felt a smile spreading on her face and sighed. "I don't think you're a bad person, Yoshiko-chan. I don't think you attacked me because you hate me. You were just following the Void's orders, right? Besides… you attacked her to save me just now, right?"

"Ha. Don't get me wrong, Four Seasons. I did not attack her to save you. I'm merely pissed off with her walking around like she owns the place." Yoshiko raised her voice while pointing her sword forward. "Sorry to break it to you, Second. But I am the heir to Void. I inherit the Void. I am not its servant, nor will I bend to it any longer. If I did, I would no longer be worthy of this title. So, come, Void, Second, Matsuura Kanan. I will show you why you are and will remain the past."

Kanan glanced between the two before sighing. "I suppose I can't be afforded time to have fun then, can I? Well, no matter. I suppose I'll just start now then."

"Honoka-chan!" Before either had time to decipher what that meant, they saw Hanayo running to them from the direction Yoshiko had come from. The brunette smiled when she saw both of them were fine but quickly stopped in her tracks as if she hit a brick wall.

"Admittedly, destroying the seal on your arm while fighting was quite annoying." Their eyes drifted back to Kanan who ran a finger over the black appendage which started to ooze that same darkness that they had come to know as the Void.

"That's…" Yoshiko's eyes widened. "The key was…"

"Haha, that's right."

"AHHH!" Hanayo screamed and dropped to her knees, her eyes glowing brightly, the light seeming to shine in a pillar above her. It twisted and turned as if it was a living creature, the light bending until it touched arm.

Kanan nodded and reached into the arm, her fingers moving through it as if it was a liquid. She rummaged around for a second before drawing her hand out, a small black orb between two fingers. "Ah, it's so good to hold it once again."

"What do you think you're doing to Hanayo-chan!?" Honoka tried to rush forward, but Yoshiko's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"If you run in recklessly, you'll die."

"But…!"

"Like I said, you still prove yourselves to be nothing but fools. Coming to the Underworld… haha. Coming to my territory was your mistake. I needed Fourth's eyes, but I do not need to hold them myself. I simply needed them to be in the Underworld once again. Do you not remember your time in the Void? Activating Fourth's eyes… to think that the Yazawa thought she was helping the girl! It's laughable, isn't it?" Kanan shook her head. "Well, let us begin, our journey beyond this world."

Strands of the red light took hold of the black orb and lifted it high into the sky, right above Hanayo, a bright light flashing as a bright beacon for all in the Underworld to see.

Honoka turned to the girl next to her. "What is that, Yoshiko-chan? You know, right? How do we stop it?"

Yoshiko flinched. "Yes… I do know what it is… there's no way that my position would allow me the ignorance of that object."

"And!?"

"The Heart of the Void, the very essence of the Void itself manifested as a physical object. I had no idea that's what was stored in your arm…"

Honoka shook her to snap her out of the far off look she had. "Now's not the time! It doesn't matter if that thing is the Heart of the Void or whatever! We just need to stop it!"

"Stop it… Well, there may be one way, but you will never agree to it."

"Just tell me! We don't have a choice."

Yoshiko sighed before looking her in the eyes, a sympathetic, almost apologetic look in her own eyes. She looked back over to the girl whose eyes shined a bright red and spoke in as level and monotone a voice as she could manage.

"Kill Koizumi Hanayo with your own hands."

* * *

**Yeah, like I said, a lot of stuff.**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	43. Beyond the Open World IV

**A few things. First, sorry for this taking so long. At least, it felt like took forever. I was having a bout of writer's block. Well, with all this virus scare, I guess I'll have more time to write. Also, I'm sorry for all the grammar errors in the last chapter. I fixed some of them pretty late, but well, who knows. Anyways, sorry.**

**I hope you guys all enjoy this chapter! We're so close to the end I can taste it! Let's enjoy the last of this ride!**

* * *

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Tsubasa asked as she and Mari finished carving the symbols into the ground with their Demonbrands as Seira had instructed.

"Assuming what this piece of shit has told us is true, then yeah, it should work." The voice came from Nozomi's cellphone which she had on speaker while standing off to the side to stay out of the way. After all, she knew absolutely nothing about demonic runes, so she really had no input on the situation.

"Oh, come on, Seira-chan, stop being so mean!"

"Shut it. Anyways, we're ready on our side as well. This better work even though we're still in the Underworld."

"Don't worry! I believe in Nozomi-chan!"

Nozomi gave a forced smile to nobody in particular. She still had no idea how she was supposed to channel this 'void' and do well… anything with it. According to Seira and Kotori, she was somehow using the Void to communicate with them through her cellphone, but she had just dialed Kotori's number like usual and she really didn't feel like she was doing anything different or special. She took some time to observe the circle of 'runes' as they had called them, but she couldn't really tell what it was supposed to be at all. None of the symbols made any sense to her but apparently Seira had been studying them for years. In fact, even though the situation was so dire apparently, she almost sounded excited to talk about the runes, even explaining what they were meant for when the girls first started carving them.

"So, we're done, but how exactly is the Oracle going to channel the Void?" Mari asked while doublechecking the runes. "She doesn't even know how she's doing it right now." Nozomi was grateful for somebody else voicing her concerns.

"Mm. Well, luckily, I'm pretty sure I know a way." Kotori piped up again. "So, Mari-chan, do you hate bleeding?"

The silence that settled over them made Nozomi's stomach twist. The look on Mari's face wasn't one on anger but Tsubasa still took a cautious step away from her master. Mari snatched the phone from Nozomi.

"Pestilence… do you mind asking that again?"

"Huh? I asked if you hate bleeding. You're a demon slayer, so you should be used to it, right? I'm sure you've gotten hurt by enough demons in your days that it doesn't really bother you anymore, right?" Kotori's voice was way too chipper for such a morbid subject.

"What is that even supposed to mean!?" There was the anger. "Are you just screwing with us, you piece of shit!? I trusted you because Seira said we could, but I swear if you're just doing this for your own entertainment…"

"Silence, Sound." Kotori's voice fell an octave and it sent a chill down everyone's spine. "Answer me. If you won't bleed for this cause, then perhaps your heir would like to."

Mari spared a glance at Tsubasa who looked even more shocked than herself. She sighed. "Fine. Hurry up and explain how me bleeding is going to help our situation."

"That's more like it!" Kotori exclaimed, her voice going back to normal. "If I'm correct, the Void is dormant within Nozomi-chan. That's why she can only unconsciously use it like she is now. The second it awakens, I believe she'll know exactly what to do with it. And for that, I believe we need a demon's blood. You see, Nozomi-chan isn't a demon slayer so she has no demon blood in her to speak of. That's why she can't use the Void freely. So, if she doesn't have any, we just have to give her some."

"K-Kotori, you don't mean…" Nozomi stumbled on her words as she realized what the girl meant. "You don't mean for me to… drink her blood, right?"

"That's right!"

Nozomi was busy freaking out about the idea, but Mari drew her katana once again and rolled up her sleeve. The two girls stared in awe as she brought the blade to her arm and made a small cut, but one deep enough that it bled a good amount. "Hurry up, Oracle. Get it over with." Nozomi looked at the wound in disgust. There was no way she was doing to drink a person's blood.

"Come on, Nozomi-chan! We have to do it to save Honoka-chan!"

"You say that but this is still…"

"Do you still have doubts? Even after flying at the speed of sound in a helicopter? Even after seeing katanas appear in thin air? You already saw Honoka-chan kill a demon before… twice. So there should be no reason to doubt, right? Honoka-chan would do this for us without any hesitation."

Nozomi cursed under her breath. Kotori was right. Of course she was. Honoka would already have her mouth on that wound if their positions were reversed. Her thoughts drifted back to that day in the theatre. Even though she couldn't see them, apparently Honoka had saved her and Eli from being killed. Maybe it was stupid to think that she owed her friends, but she felt herself moving forward. She grabbed hold of Mari's arm and took a deep breath, trying to settle her stomach more than anything. Just how the hell did she get dragged into this? That was her last thought before she planted her mouth on the wound and sucked the dripping blood into her mouth. Mari flinched slightly at the strange feeling but remained still.

At first, she felt nothing. She wasn't sure how much of the blood she needed to drink so she kept sucking. Strangely, it didn't taste of iron, but… it was almost sweet. Instead of turning her stomach upside down, it filled her with warmth, and she could feel that she was losing her grip on the world around her. Her mind went fuzzy, filled with the same warmth. The blood tasted so good she wouldn't mind drinking it all day. The only thing that kept her grounded were the voices whispering around her. Were those voices always there? What were they saying? Nozomi couldn't focus on them, only on the taste crossing her tongue. How much had she drunk? Mari hadn't pulled away yet.

Shouldn't she be disgusted by this? Why did it feel so right? Why did it taste so good? Nozomi's mind drifted farther and farther until a voice snapped her out of it.

"How does it taste, my precious Oracle?" Cold slim fingers ran along her cheek, sending a shiver down Nozomi's spine. It somehow felt relaxing though, like the comforting touch of a mother, a caring touch. She opened her eyes and stared into vivid pools of blue. Very familiar vivid pools of blue. For the first time since she had started drinking the blood, she moved to lift her head, but the ginger in front of her rested a hand on the back of her head, keeping it down. "Do not lift. Keep drinking."

She was staring into Honoka's eyes. Why was she here? As if reading her mind, Honoka spoke with a gentle smile. "I am not your friend, my dear Oracle. I thought this might be an appropriate form to take to speak with you. Does it make you uncomfortable?" Nozomi wanted to reply but the hand on her head still prevented her from getting up. "Think, my dear Oracle, think. Think and I will hear."

_What…?_

"Yes, like that. Worry not, I have no desire to pry deeper into your heart, I need only hear your surface thoughts. So, speak as you will through thought." Honoka lifted her hand and crossed her arms. "We have some things to discuss."

_Who are you?_

"Ah, but of course. I am your closest companion, one who has always and will always be at your side for you are my chosen Oracle. I am the Void, the one who knows all and watches over all, the ever-present Void." She swept out her arms and bowed dramatically. "My greatest apologies for not speaking with you at an earlier date but you were not ready. You were not to be brought into this world until the end."

_Oracle? The end? Listen, I know you guys keep telling me this stuff but…_

"Are you concerned, my dear Oracle? I apologize for that as well. But you shall know truth soon. Drink and you will know. Drink and you will inherit in part my wisdom, my vision, my ears. See as I do, hear as I do. You will bring unity to the world, you will stop the ceasing of time. You are my precious Oracle who will save this dear friend of yours, Kousaka Honoka, Four Seasons, the Singularity. If she was chosen by this world to save it, then you were chosen by the Void who came from outside this world to save her."

_I don't understand anything you're saying! Why can't any of you just be clear about it?_

"Oh, but you will. The more blood of this demon slayer you drink, the closer you become to me. The clearer your eyes can see me, the sharper your ears can hear my words. So, feast! Feast on the blood of those who have sacrificed their lives! Walk closer. Hear me, Oracle, for I am the Void who has bestowed upon you the honour of being my Oracle. Let us walk together to save your dear friend, Toujou Nozomi!"

Honoka… or the Void as she had been told, started laughing hysterically, waving her arms around her like she was trying to swat something away. Nozomi had no idea what was happening. But just as she had started, she suddenly stopped, bringing a hand to her head, cringing.

"Tch. That useless Kanan. To think I could make such a mistake as letting her become a part of me. Heh. But that is what keeps the world interesting, is it not?" Honoka, the Void, turned her head to lock eyes with Nozomi. "I'll admit to you, Toujou Nozomi. I could care less about the Singularity, Kousaka Honoka, or the Witness, or even this world. But our interests align. Whether you accept me or not, I have chosen you as my Oracle. You wish to save these girls, do you not?" Her face softened and Nozomi thought she looked more like Honoka than ever with that expression. "So, I humbly ask you." The Void gave a deep bow. "Will you assist me?"

… _Will I really be able to save Honoka like this?_

The Void raised its head and gave a slight nod. "At this point, you are the only one who can save her. Without bringing back First, your… 'friends' will stand no chance against her. I cannot even assist my heir enough to defeat Second. Part of this is my fault, I admit. And so, I will rectify that mistake. Answer me not, Oracle. If you wish to leave, this will be your last chance. Lift your head if you wish to leave. If you wish to stay, if you wish to save your friend… then drink."

Nozomi let out the equivalent of a sigh with her mouth being busy. It's not like she could just leave after going that far anyways. She wouldn't leave Honoka and Hanayo alone. Steeling that resolve she closed her eyes and basked in the taste of Mari's blood.

* * *

"Ah, so Sixth really did still have his eyes." Yo sighed as she watched Setsuna help Umi to her feet. "But you've looked better, Devour. Are you sure you haven't taken on too many wounds from those you saved? I'd hate to see you kick the bucket by anything other my blade."

"Don't speak like a fool, Star." Setsuna turned to smirk at her, the blood dripping down her chin doing little to but prove Yo's point. "My life is of little consequence in the grand scheme of things, just like yours. Your death is just a steppingstone to rid the world of demons. And I am just a tool to assist in that. As such, my death here won't mean much. I've done my part. I do hope I get to see the look on your face when you die though."

Yo's eyes flared red and her sword struck out across the room but hit Riko's barrier before it could strike Setsuna. But the instant it did, Yo turned her attention back on the redhead. Her next strike was intercepted by Nico, this time confidently and easily.

"It really would seem like your path ends here, Watanabe Yo." Erena gave a small chuckle as she walked forward to stand by Devour and Umi, the bluenette just staring off into space. "You are naught but a shadow of both a demon slayer and Demon Lord. Even with the eyes of Second, you can no longer win. The Void does not favour you, your eyes are meaningless. What have you left, Star?"

A tight smile formed on Yo's lips and she looked down at her sword. "Useless? Far from it. You seem to think that Sixth's eyes will save you. You are fools. Look at her. You broke the poor girl. All for the sake of defeating me, you got rid of your only hope. What have you to rely on now? The Prince using this girl's eyes? Meaningless. You know as well as I do that the only thing that will result from that is the Prince's death."

Erena shrugged. "The Prince's life is of no consequence to me." Nico snorted at that. If she could have looked in Erena's direction, she would have glared, but Riko kept her eyes solely on Yo. "My goal is quite simple. To be honest, it really has nothing to do with you, Star. But, well… You already know what that goal is, correct? The reason you are able to use the Void… We of the Void are not fools, Watanabe Yo. We seek only to claim what is ours and lay retribution on those that would wrong the Void. If stopping the plans of Second are a byproduct, then so be it."

Yo nodded slowly. "Looks like the Void has recovered enough to truly speak to you once again. That's disappointing. We hoped that it would take longer, but that changes nothing."

"Pfft… Ahaha!" Erena raised a hand to her face and struggled to keep from laughing. "You are truly stupid, Star. You and Second relied on having the Void on your side, of knowing the future. Because you were able to seize the Heart of the Void, you thought you would win."

Yo tilted her head and put a finger to her chin in thought. "I suppose that's true. But if you thought the Heart of the Void was the only thing that gave us confidence, then you're wrong. It was simply something we needed. But well… I guess if you've reestablished proper communication with the Void, then I can't afford to have fun. I'm sure you were all having fun fighting an immortal being, but I'll put you all out of your misery now."

Yo closed her eyes and when they opened, those red orbs glowed brightly. Nico immediately struck out, but her sword was stopped long before it reached Yo. No, it wasn't just the sword. Everything was stopped. Everybody in the room could still see, still think, but there was no way to move their bodies. A small chuckle escaped Yo as she started walking forward.

"The true power of Second's eyes, the ability to manipulate time around him. The Demon Lords feared even telling each other their true powers. It's a shame that left you so woefully uniformed, Sixth. In fact…" Yo walked past the rest who couldn't even turn their heads to follow the girl. She walked up to Umi and grabbed her chin, forcibly tilting her head up. "It would best if I started with you then, right, Sixth?"

Yo brought her sword up. "Farewell, Origin."

"Foolish…" The voice was so quiet, Yo almost missed it even in the silence.

"Huh? You…"

Umi's eyes slowly opened, revealing two glowing red orbs. But her voice was hers and hers alone, no hint of Sixth mixed in. Despite everybody standing perfectly still, frozen in time, around her, Umi raised a hand and grabbed the hand holding her chin.

"Begone, Second."

* * *

"Kill…!? What are you talking about, Yoshiko-chan!?"

"I'm serious. As things stand, I am of the Void. If I kill her, Second will simply claim her eyes through the Void. However, if you kill her… her eyes will vanish, passed onto the next inheritor." Yoshiko sighed and turned her eyes back to Kanan who had her arms crossed, seemingly content with letting them hash out a plan. "Our only other choice is to fight. And I'll tell you right now, as I am of the Void, I am not capable of harming the Void, much as you are not capable of harming the Four Seasons. I can defend you, but I cannot strike Second down myself."

Honoka tried to run through any other options but, just as Yoshiko said, they really were stuck between the two. She cursed under her breath. There was no way in hell she was ever going to consider the option of killing Hanayo. She would sooner die in combat against Second that even put thought to that. What would be the meaning of all of this if she just let her partner, her friend, die there?

"We're going to fight." She said finally, turning to Yoshiko. "Even if you can't attack, you're strong, Yoshiko-chan. If you can block attacks, that's enough. As long as I can get hits in, we can win." Though she wasn't quite sure about that herself, Yoshiko smirked at her words.

"That's what I like to hear." Yoshiko brought her sword up, waves of darkness appearing from thin air to circle around it. "I am the Void, the emptiness of the world, the beginning and the end of all. You who would defile the Void will suffer retribution. I am Tsushima Yoshiko, heir to Void." The darkness seeped into the blade, dyeing it a deep black. She brought it down and close to her, gripping it tightly with both hands. "I will be your shield, Four Seasons. None shall get past my blade."

"Are you two done? I don't mind waiting if you need some more time. Time only favours me, after all." Kanan pointed up, drawing their eyes to the sky. A large crack marred dark sky, a ray of light that almost looked hopeful, but they knew it only spelled doom. "The barrier between worlds has already begun to crack. Soon it shall fall, and you will lose your last hope. So, come and entertain me! In your final moments, let me witness your struggle!"

Honoka turned to Yoshiko and gave a wordless nod, the heir to Void returning it with a strangely confident smile. Honoka had to wonder if Yoshiko really put that much faith in her? Did she really believe that they could take on Kanan? Well… if Yoshiko believed in her, then did she really have a choice but to believe in herself? Hanayo's life was at stake. Wait, Hanayo… Did she really have to kill her? Was that their only option in regards to her? No…

"Yoshiko-chan, I have a plan. But I need to get close to Hanayo-chan." Yoshiko nodded slowly but realization quickly dawned on her face.

"You're not thinking of… We don't know what that will do to this world… hell, to both worlds."

"It's worth a try! I'm not giving up Hanayo-chan! And, even if we can defeat Kanan, I don't think we can do it in the time we have left. Please, trust me."

Yoshiko snorted, but smiled all the same. "Very well, Four Seasons… no… Honoka. I'll trust the very fate of our world to you. Don't disappoint me."

Honoka tightly clutched her blade in her remaining hand. "Let's go!" She dashed forward, towards Kanan but quickly pivoted, heading straight for Hanayo.

"Don't make me laugh." Kanan appeared in front of her, sword at the ready. "Void style, 1st blade, Null." "Void style, 5th blade, Closed chapter." Before that blade could reach the ginger, attacks from all angles came in, aimed not at Kanan herself, but the blade she was using. Those strikes easily redirected the path of her sword, allowing Honoka to move around her, but the ginger had little faith that there wouldn't be a follow up attack and prepared her own blade.

"Four seasons, summer style, 4th blade, Midnight sun." Kanan squinted against the bright strike, a strike that never came into contact with her. By the time Kanan had moved past that blade and prepared her own blade once again, Yoshiko was there.

"Void style, 3rd blade, Last words."

"Void style, 4th blade, Fade."

Yoshiko's blade swept an impossibly slow arc in front of her, the blade giving a gentle touch to Kanan's. But when it did, Kanan's Demonbrand was sent flying from her hands. Ideally, it would have been the time for Yoshiko to make her counterattack, but she knew that it would be useless and simply jumped back. Kanan immediately summoned her sword back.

"It's no wonder you're the proper heir to Void, Yoshiko. To think that you could even disarm me. Looks like I really should have killed you when I had the chance."

Yoshiko glanced back at Honoka who was nearing her partner before turning back to Kanan. "You are nothing, Kanan, Second. You are a fragment of the past, lost in this new present. No longer can you savor the blessings of the Void, but I do. You who can only use the Void as a shield are not worthy. As the heir to Void, it's my duty to stop you."

"Hmph. Then I will show you…" Kanan held her sword straight up. "That the Void heeds my command." Darkness shot forth from her blade, a torrent of nothingness that swirled violently in the air before shooting forward. A wave of the darkness, much quicker than the ginger, caught up in no time, threatening to crash down around her. "I'll drag you straight to the Void!"

But the wave simply stopped as if time itself had stopped. Kanan narrowed her eyes. Yoshiko stood in front of the wave and the darkness of the Void stayed away from her. After a few seconds, the darkness simply fell to the ground, dissipating slowly.

"In your time, there was never a reason to seriously fight the Void using the Void. It would seem as if the Void kept you uniformed, Kanan. Maybe it saw this day coming. Just as I cannot harm you with the Void, you cannot use it to harm me. I am favoured by the Void after all."

"Then I will simply slice your body apart until there is nothing left of you for the Void to collect." Kanan readied her sword once again.

"Hmph. It's too late for you, Matsuura Kanan. This is our victory."

"Four seasons, autumn style, 5th blade." Kanan's face was passive as she simply tilted her head to look past Yoshiko. Honoka reached Hanayo with her sword pulled back. She felt the warmth of Autumn wrapped around her once again, the comforting feeling that she was meant to use those blades. The Daughter of Autumn brought her blade forward and through the red light right above Hanayo's head. "Tsukimi."

The light was easily severed by the blade, but they all felt it immediately. Just like before, Honoka felt like the world itself shifted under her, for just a brief second. Everything felt out of place, like she had pushed something, but it went in the opposite direction. Then it was back to normal. The red light above Hanayo twisted and spasmed. It looked like it was trying to reach for the girl once again but couldn't move towards her. Instead, it shot into the sky, all the light gathering into a red orb that got smaller and smaller until they could barely see it.

"What…?"

Then the ball exploded, streaks of red flying throughout the sky before vanishing. Then the cracks started appearing. At first it was just one more, then another, then dozens. Honoka tore her eyes away from the sky and looked at Hanayo who was lying on the ground, her eyes still wide open, still glowing a bright red. She kneeled next to her and put a hand to her cheek.

"Hanayo-chan! Hanayo-chan, snap out of it!"

"Ahaha! Fools!" She looked back at Kanan who was taking steps back, staring into the sky and laughing. "It really is too easy to manipulate such ignorant fools as yourselves. Did you think I could not get past Yoshiko? Do you think of me as a weakling? Ahaha! Far from it, Four Seasons, Tsushima Yoshiko! I had no idea you could be such a useful tool even after I reclaimed the Void's heart. To think that you would try something so reckless! After figuring out your plan, I just had to see what would happen! Of course it would work out in my favour! Now even if you kill me, it's meaningless! You've set the world on an irreversible path! You've just accelerated my work! You have my thanks, Kousaka Honoka!"

Yoshiko sighed as she looked up. "Hmph. Looks like we've really messed up here, ha." As she thought that and all their eyes were drawn to the sky, a bright light appeared, shining against the dark sky. "That's…"

It happened in just a split second. That light reached them so fast that just blinking could have made them miss it. It crashed directly into Kanan, darkness instead of blood bursting from her as she flew back. She hit the ground and slid several meters before coming to a stop. Without missing a beat, she stood once again, the massive hole in her chest closing up. "I suppose I should have figured you would show up… Sun. It would seem like you had a fun time killing my Demonbrand."

Yoshiko and Honoka's eyes opened wide in disbelief. Sure enough, Chika sat on the ground in a small crater that had formed from her impact. The ground around her was already heating into a molten mess and she stared forward blankly at Kanan. Both of the girls noticed that the newly arrived ginger made no move to stand. In fact, her legs didn't move at all as she shifted her weight, her Demonbrand in one hand sticking into the ground.

"Sun… You…" Yoshiko started but Chika didn't even look her way.

"You've really done a number on this world, haven't you, Second?" Chika looked up at the sky. "I guess the barrier between worlds is cracking. It'll fall before long."

"You've come just in time for the finale, Sun. Gaze upon the end of this world. We will move beyond it, to a new world that we could never see. Why fight it, Sun? Let us take this journey together!" Kanan held a hand out but Chika just blinked.

"I've no intention of joining you." Chika's voice felt strangely devoid of emotion, a calm unnerving tone given the situation. There was no anger, no happiness to see her friends again, just nothing. "But I also have no intention of fighting you. That being said, I'm here because of… those." She pointed up at the sky or, more precisely, the cracks in the sky. "The Sun watches over the sky, the earth. Everything under the Sun is my domain."

Kanan gestured towards the sky. "I apologize if fighting my Demonbrand somehow drove you insane, but this is the Underworld, a place where the sun does not shine. You have walked into my domain, Sun."

Chika sighed and once more looked towards the sky. "You're wrong, Second. This has already become my domain." Chika held her sword up and it glowed brightly as if it was melting like the ground around her. The light shot into the sky, blowing away the darkness.

"That's…" Yoshiko felt herself at a loss for words as she stared… into the Sun?

Sure enough, a bright ball of flames appeared in the sky, dispelling all darkness around it, a soft warmth descending on the girls. That was what caught their attention, but that attention quickly shifted to the cracks that, until just a second ago, were expanding. But they froze, some even shrinking a bit. Kanan's eyes widened before a smile spread across her face and she laughed while staring at the ball of flame.

"Amazing! You truly are the Sun! To think that you would release the Sun from your body. Just what have you done? This is truly impressive. I thank you for showing me such a sight." She locked eyes with Chika. "And you're using the Sun to keep this world intact. Hilarious. What will you do when the barrier collapses from the other side? Will the Sun be able to bear the weight of the entire overworld along with the Underworld?"

"There are demon slayers above. Right now, my concern is here. Unfortunately, maintaining the Sun takes a lot of effort. So, I will not be your opponent, Second." Kanan's eye twitched.

"You come here just for this?" She lifted her sword. "If you will not fight, then I will slaughter you right here." A flick of her wrist sent her blade towards Chika but, just as with Kane, the blade melted long before it reached her, the molten metal falling into the molten rock around the ginger.

"Your blade will not reach me, Second. I am simply an overseer, the Sun, the mother of all life." Chika finally turned towards Yoshiko and a small smile spread on her lips. "I'm glad to see that you weren't truly against us, Void-chan."

"Hmph. That is for another time, Sun. However, what is of concern now is that you will not fight. I cannot attack the Void. And I fear that, even with me guarding, Four Seasons and I will not be able to defeat Second. Will you not fight?"

A somewhat melancholic smile found its way onto Chika's face and she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Void-chan, but I can't. If my concentration is broken, this whole world will fall apart. It's impossible. But you… you can fight."

"Sun, I can't…"

"You can!" Emotion suddenly returned to Chika's voice. It was hopeful, but almost desperate. "You can fight, Void-chan! It doesn't matter who your opponent is. You let her convince you otherwise, but you are the one who can't be harmed by the Void! You're the heir to Void! This is just an imposter, a Demon Lord who has long since lost the right to be acknowledged. Show him, Yoshiko! Show him the true power of the Void!"

Yoshiko's eyes slowly drifted down to her Demonbrand. She knew that there was no way she could attack the Void with her own Demonbrand. This wasn't like a duel with her Master. This was an outright attack on the Void. It was impossible. Her blade would do nothing. As if reading her mind, Chika yelled to her again.

"Is that what you're afraid of, you idiot!?"

"I-Idiot?" Chika smirked and lifted her own Demonbrand before throwing it her way. Yoshiko caught it and just stared at it. "Sun, what…?"

"Our Demonbrands are the manifestations of our souls, our feelings, our hearts. I've already decided to give you my heart, Void-chan." Despite her confident smirk holding, there was a light pink dusting her cheeks. "With my authority as the Sun, I give you permission to wield my heart in battle. The blessings of the Sun upon you, the light that nurtures all." The blade in Yoshiko's hand glowed brightly for just a brief second before dimming back to ordinary steel. "That's all I can do for you, Void-chan."

Yoshiko sized up the new blade. Despite it not being her own Demonbrand, it didn't feel out of place. In fact, it felt like a sword that she had spent her entire life training with. A warmth permeated the hilt that traveled through her entire body. She tried to hold it back, but a smile broke out on her face. She let go of her own Demonbrand, letting it vanish. It would do her no good in this battle. This battle was no longer Yoshiko staking her heart, but staking Chika's.

_When did I get so soft? Stupid Sun… But, well… since you went through all this trouble… I suppose I can show off a little._

"Honoka." Yoshiko spoke without turning back to the ginger, keeping her eyes focused solely on Kanan who simply stood with her arms crossed. "Even with Sun's Demonbrand, I am not capable of killing the Void. However, I can fight. I can injure her. You'll still have to finish her off. But… heh. Looks like our chances just went from zero to one."

Honoka gave another look to Hanayo who showed no sign of responding. She gently ran her hand over her partner's eyes, slowly closing them before laying her back down. "Wait for me, Hanayo-chan. I swear we'll save the world and then I'll come back for you." With that, she picked her Demonbrand back up and moved to stand at Yoshiko's side.

"Now then… Where were we?"

"Haha, that's what I like to hear, Four Seasons. Glad to see you're still pumped up for this fight."

"If anything, I'm feeling more up to it than ever." She spared a smile Yoshiko's way. "Come on, Yoshiko-chan. Let's reclaim our world."

"This is a battle to save the world, after all. One step at a time." Kanan lifted her blade and Yoshiko lifted Chika's Demonbrand. "Void style, 1st blade."

* * *

"What… are those…?" Tsubasa stared at bright cracks appearing in the blue sky. They spread across the sky in an instant, silently expanding.

Mari flinched. She was starting to feel dizzy from the amount of blood she was losing, but the spaced out look on Nozomi's face told her something must be happening so she didn't pull the girl away. "Seira, the sky… is cracking above us. That's… the barrier between worlds…"

"We are aware, it's happening here too."

A giggle from the other side. "Sound, you should be able to stop it, right? At least for a bit."

Mari nodded slowly. "I can but…" She flinched again. "Not as long as this girl is sucking me dry."

"Don't stop her." Kotori's voice once again lost its mirth. "It's very important to our victory that you allow her to continue drinking."

"I know that!" Mari snapped. "But I'm saying I can't help in this state. It's like she's draining all my energy…" She looked towards Tsubasa whose eyes widened.

"Eh? Me? M-Master, I don't know if…"

"You can, Tsubasa. You know exactly how to use Sound to do it as well." A gentle smiled spread on her lips. "I trust you. I wouldn't have made you my heir if I didn't believe in your ability. You're ready for this… So, show me. Prove to Sound why you're worthy to be its Master."

Tsubasa stared up at the cracks in the sky wondering just what had gotten her into that position. But if her Master believed in her, then she had no reason to refuse. She took a deep breath and held her Demonbrand up.

"Sound style, 9th blade… Final resonance." A slight hum started as the girl's blade began vibrating rapidly. "I am the noise of life, the screams of sorrow in troubled times, the cries of joy in your best, the echo of nothing. I am Sound, both that which you hear and that which remains unheard. I am the herald of noise, she who breathes life into the quiet night. But I am also the lull, she who takes away, she who revels in the calm, she who brings the peace of quiet." Tsubasa took a deep breath and turned her sword such that the blade pointed towards the ground. "All who live will hear my harmony. The dissonance fails in my wake. For in order we find peace, and in peace, we remain still." Tsubasa jammed her vibrating sword into the ground. "Sound style, Silence."

As if her word was law, every sound seemed to vanish in an instant. All idle sounds, the sounds of creatures, everything… just stopped. Sweat started to poor down the brunette face and her breathing became heavier but when she looked up, she smiled. The cracks in the sky stopped spreading. She clutched the hilt of her sword tightly.

"That girl… better hurry up… I can't keep this up forever, Master…"

Mari nodded. "You're doing great, Tsubasa. Just hang in there."

"I suppose Sound was supposed to be the overseer of the overworld." Seira said from the other side. "I'm glad you taught your heir so early."

"Mm! Mm! Good job, Sound!"

Mari wanted to say something to Pestilence, but she bit it back as Nozomi slowly lifted her head. As soon as she let go, Mari fell to her knees, all the energy drained from her. Nozomi blinked twice before looking up at the sky then at Tsubasa. Then she slowly locked eyes with Mari.

"Thank you, Sound." She smiled her usual kind, caring, almost motherly smile. "I'm sorry if I cause you pain. But it really does mean a lot."

"Nozomi-chan!" Kotori's chipper voice sounded and Nozomi grabbed her cellphone. "Well?"

Nozomi giggled. "It went fine. As far as you should be concerned, it went perfectly. I… learned a lot. Admittedly, I'm a bit scared of what's to come. Even with the Void sharing its knowledge with me and assuring me, it's still scary. But… It also showed me Honoka-chan. She's fighting the Second Demon Lord right now. So, we have to do our job as well." She offered a hand to Mari. "I don't have a Demonbrand, so I can't activate these runes. I hope you can do this last task, Ohara-san."

Mari shook her head before taking that hand, forcing herself to stand though she was obviously unsteady on her legs. "Just who do you think I am? Of course I can. The Master of Sound won't back down over something like this." She grabbed her Demonbrand. "Are you guys ready on the other side? And, more importantly… Did the Void tell you what you need to do?"

Nozomi giggled again. "Yes. I know what I have to do. You can start whenever you're ready."

Nozomi managed to remain calm on the outside, but in the inside, her mind was turbulent. So much information flowed through her mind that was showed to her by the Void that she was having trouble organizing it all. With the Void's help, she had organized the information about what she needed to do for this 'resurrection' or 'whatever the hell they want to call it' as the Void coined it. She smiled, thinking of the warm feeling the Void gave her. Even then, she could hear the quiet voice deep in her head, whispering comforting assurances to her. Everything would be fine. She would help them save Honoka.

"Alright, let's begin." Seira said from the other side.

Mari stabbed just the tip of her Demonbrand into the ground. "Mm. It's time."

* * *

**This chapter turned out a lot longer than I meant, but it didn't feel right to push some things off to another chapter. A lot happened, huh? Well, a lot will happen next chapter as well!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed! Even though this virus stuff probably isn't a big threat or anything, if you're older or have pre-existing conditions, make sure you stay safe!**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	44. BOW V - Return of the First I

**We're really reaching the climax of this story between this chapter and the next. Thank you so much for staying with me and my terrible writing. I'll try not to make this too long so I can write some big sappy thing for the final chapter.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Tsubasa stared in wonder as the runes around them lit up, each emitting a bright lavender light. Mari flinched as she felt her energy being drained through her arm, into the sword and down into the ground. No, not her energy, her life force, she realized. That was the price she had to pay to summon a Demon Lord back from wherever the hell he was. She noted that as a good question to ask. If he was 'dead,' where the hell actually was he? Unfortunately, the pain of having her life force drained was too distracting. She watched as something like veins weaved through the ground, connecting the runes and passing through each other in seemingly random ways.

It was much more draining than she expected, but that was probably because she had just had so much blood drained from her by Nozomi, she figured. To think that she, a master of a style, the style tasked with overseeing the overworld, would one day revive a Demon Lord, and First at that. She spent so many years thinking that she would be in the squad that would one day kill the bastard and now she was helping to bring him back. She almost laughed at the irony. Almost.

Those veins of light coalesced in the middle of the circle of runes, outlining a circle just large enough for a person to stand in. And that's where she figured Nozomi came in as the purplenette walked past her, a calm smile on her face, to stand just outside the circle. Nozomi took a deep breath. The Void had told her all she needed to do, and she had no reason at this point to distrust it. In fact, after what she had seen in it, she only had reason to trust it.

Nozomi took one deep breath to prepare herself. "I am the Herald of the Void, the harbinger of the end, she who gazes beyond. To my eyes, the unknown may be revealed, naught will remain unseen. For this world, a gift. I bring sight to the blind, words to the mute. In light there remains a shadow, that which watches over those bathed in the ethereal. From one world to the next, my blessing shall spread. I am the Void, that which has been and always will be." Nozomi reached out and just hoped, hoped that what the Void told her was true. Sure enough, a faint blue glow covered her hand and a flash of bright light quickly took its place. But that light fell victim to the never-ending darkness of the Void as that darkness spread from her hand, enveloping the light and settling into a small sphere in her palm.

Mari stared in wonder as the darkness began leaking from the sphere, sending a wind so strong it threatened to knock her over. Nozomi raised her hand into the air, the black sphere lifting high above them before expanding and taking proper shape.

"Is that… a Demonbrand? No…"

That sphere took not the form of a sword, but a spear, long and simple, the blade at the end giving the feeling of a naginata rather than other traditional spears. Mari flinched as a particularly large amount of life force was robbed from her, but that was it. The feeling was gone. The circle glowed brightly and… opened? A deep pit of black enveloped the circle. For a brief second nothing happened, then she noticed it. Slowly, painfully slowly, something was rising from the circle. A body. The body of a young girl. Long brown hair partially held up by a bright red ribbon. She looked just an ordinary high school girl. Her body rose from the ground and continued rising into the air. The spear shifted just slightly to position itself over the girl. As it did, her eyes slowly opened, pools of bright blue that looked as if they were just observing the world for the first time. Those eyes locked onto the spear above her and then her head shifted slightly, the eyes shifted around until they met Nozomi's. A small smile broke out on the girl's face.

"Ah, you must be the Void's Oracle." Her voice was smooth, comforting, almost hypnotic. It drew Mari in, and she had to shake her head before she got completely drawn into it. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I thank you for bringing me here. However…" She shifted her gaze back to the spear above her. "It would appear that I am needed in the Underworld, no? I did enjoy my time here. And this is not an unpleasant last glimpse of this world." She smiled once again and closed her eyes. "If you would, Oracle."

Nozomi was taken aback by the girl at first. That was the First Demon Lord? When the girl closed her eyes, she realized she didn't really have the time to be thinking about that. She had to get her down there as soon as possible.

"That which was used to craft the beginning shall bring you to the end. Pierce, Amenonuhoku." On command, the spear slammed down, piercing straight through the girl's stomach and burying itself in the circle, effectively pinning the poor girl to the ground. A wave of force from that circle swept over them and then everything was over. Nozomi and Mari both sighed in relief.

"Ehe…" Their heads snapped up at a sound, a giggle from the girl pinned to the ground.

"Eh?" Nozomi ran over to her, confusion clearly painted on her face. "You're… alive? The Void told me that was all I needed to do to send you to the Underworld…"

Another soft giggle from the brunette. Blood leaked from her mouth and poured from the massive wound in her stomach, but she still laughed and kept that radiant smile. "Please… don't be mistaken." She paused to cough, splattering blood on the ground between them. "I… I was First's host… so that he could continue living here… after losing his form…" Her gaze was shaky, but she managed to shift it up to meet Nozomi's eyes. "My name… right. I am… Osaka Shizuku. It's… a pleasure to meet you, Oracle…"

Nozomi cringed at the heavy breathing that was obviously painful for the poor girl. She reached out and gently cradled Shizuku's head in her arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't want to cause you this much pain."

Shizuku shook her head. "It had… to be done. Now… First can… save Four Seasons."

Nozomi blinked once. "Eh? How do you…?"

"First… guh… He told me… long ago. When I became his host… he knew that… one day, h-he would betray Second. And… he told me at that time… That he would… give himself… to save Four Seasons." Shizuku took a deep breath but that just resulted in a coughing fit that furthered the puddle of blood. "She… needs to touch… Autumn…" Shizuku managed a weak smile up at the girl. "Ah… I'm so tired… I think my time here… is up. I'm glad… I'm able to die here… on the overworld…"

Even though Nozomi listened closely, curious what the Void thought of this, the Void was suddenly eerily silent. She turned her attention back to the girl who was struggling to keep her eyes open. "Once again… I'm sorry. I… I didn't mean to…" Nozomi tightened her hand into a fist to stop it from shaking. The weight of what she had just done felt like it finally settled in. She had killed somebody. It had all felt surreal when she just thought she was 'killing' a Demon Lord. But now that a dying girl lay in front of her, she had no idea what to think.

A weak hand reached up and gently stroked her cheek, snapping her out of her thoughts. Tears streamed down her cheeks, over that hand. Shizuku managed a light giggle. "Do not… be sad…" She paused and ran one of her fingers through the stream of tears. "May I… know your name?"

Nozomi swallowed a lump in her throat and tried to speak, her voice coming out much shakier than she imagined. "T-Tojou… Nozomi…"

"Nozomi… A beautiful name…" Shizuku's fingers slowly trailed down her face before she simply let her hand fall. Nozomi quickly, desperately, grabbed it with one of hers. "My time… is up. Long ago did I… make this decision. It was… all to end here." Shizuku flinched as her body briefly convulsed but she held on, just barely. "Don't… Don't think poorly… of Mako-chan…"

"M-Mako-chan?"

Shizuku managed another giggle. "Ehe… A cute nickname… right? What do you… call him still…? First? Mm. He's… doing his best… And soon Honoka… guh…! Four Seasons… will realize it as well… Ah… everything's so dark… I suppose hanging on… any longer is meaningless. Thank you… Nozomi-san… for killing me… and saving… Mako-chan…" As the name left her mouth, Nozomi watched the light leave her eyes, Shizuku's head hanging to the side. In a small puff of darkness, the spear vanished, leaving the gaping hole for all to see.

Nozomi felt a whole new set of tears coming, hear chest tightening from the guilt. Before she could start bawling though, the hole that the girl rose out of opened once again, a pit of darkness that began dragging the body in by its feet.

"E-Eh? What? V-Void, what's…!?" Nozomi tried to hold onto Shizuku's body but it was no use, the darkness dragged her in with a force much stronger than Nozomi could oppose.

"Forget it…" Nozomi looked over to see Mari shakily getting back to her feet. "I had my suspicions when she called herself the host of a Demon Lord. But there's really only one place where she can go after dying, is there not?"

Nozomi looked back at the body slowly being pulled from her arms. "The… Underworld?"

"Most likely. There's no use in resisting it. Even the Void itself can't go against the will of the world. Let her go, Oracle."

Nozomi looked between the blonde and the brunette in her arms. Comforting words from the Void reached her ears, its apparent silence ended. Words that spoke of another meeting, words that assured her that it was not the end. Even though it was the Void, those words felt hollow to her in that moment. But if there was one thing that did get across, it was that it was useless to resist. Nozomi reluctantly released her grip on Shizuku body and watched as it completely sank beneath the dark surface. As soon as it did, the darkness vanished, the light emitted by the runes fading until everything was once again back to normal. Well, as normal as it could be with the sky threatening to crack open.

Mari moved over to her heir to support her and Nozomi let out a deep sigh. Tears still leaked down her cheeks despite her efforts to wipe them away. Despite her state, she grabbed her cellphone, determined to see this through to the end.

* * *

Seira flinched as she felt one last tug at her life force from the circle around them. The light slowly faded from the runes, coalescing around the smaller circle in the centre. She felt more than saw something rising from the circle. A wave, a ripple in the space around them, blew over her and she felt her entire body shake for just a second.

"First…"

There was definitely _something_ there, but it wasn't something that she could see, even with her eyes. In fact, she doubted anybody could see it, save maybe someone with the eyes of a Demon Lord. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Pestilence staring at that something with a smile.

"Looks like it was a success. Not only were we able to bring him back, but we brought him down here. Now all he needs is a new host."

"A host?"

"Of course. Long has the time passed of First not needing a host to survive. Unfortunately, his host needed to die for us to bring him down here once again." The smirk on Kotori's face made Seira shudder.

Seira shook her head. "Surely you're not implying that I should be the one to take him in. If so, you might be much dumber than I could have imagined."

Kotori laughed loudly but shook her head and turned her attention past Seira. "It looks like they're right on time."

"My, my. Were we expected? I would have brought a gift if I was aware." Seira turned slowly, knowing exactly who awaited her there. Sure enough, Erena smiled back at her from her wheelchair, which was pushed up to them by Ruby who was looking around nervously. "You look surprised, Four Seasons."

Seira glared at Kotori but the ash-blonde just snickered. "Welcome to the Underworld, Void. I suppose you've already had a glimpse at what you're here for."

"Hmph. Of course. That…" She nodded in the direction of the circle. "First, correct? Oh ho, just look at you. How pitiful. Luckily for you, I'll be the one to take pity and let you into me. Come, First."

"Eh? Are you serious, Void?" Seira scoffed. "You're going to let the First Demon Lord inside of you? Are you crazy? Who knows what the hell that'll do to your body!"

Kotori nodded. "Normally, it would not be a big deal as Demon Lords tend not to use their full power when in a host. However, in this battle, First will have little choice but to squeeze every bit of energy he has. This will likely result in his death. And if he is to die while using your body…"

Erena laughed to cut her off. "Pestilence, is it? You may have lived quite a bit longer than I… but I have been through much. We of the Void do not live long lives. "Thank you, Ruby-chan, for pushing me here." Erena shifted in the wheelchair and summoned her Demonbrand in one hand. She planted it on the ground in front of her and very slowly took a step out of the wheelchair. As soon as she stood on both legs, they buckled, causing her to fall to her knees.

"E-Erena!" Ruby rushed to her side, but Void gently pushed her away.

Erena looked between Four Seasons and Pestilence, both of whom watched her with wide eyes. "Long have I been confined to this chair. To think that those at HQ would praise me as one of the strongest and yet I cannot even stand on my own. This was something I accepted when I accepted the Void. It would always turn out like this. A price for using the Void, if you will, just as you pay for using Autumn, Four Seasons."

She took a deep breath and pushed herself up once more, this time waving Ruby back over. Using both her katana and Ruby for support, she just barely managed to stand.

"I thought that it might be nice to walk once more before my time is up."

"Your time…? Void, are you…?"

"Correct, Four Seasons. My time is very near. Ha… Yoshiko kept asking me to rest, to quit using the Void, but… that is not the fate of us Demon Slayers. I chose this path and I intend to see it through until the end. The Void has accepted my decision to allow First into my body. With him, I will eradicate Matsuura Kanan and Second."

Kotori frowned. "While I agree that First is our only option, I don't believe that you will be able to destroy Second, even with First inside of you."

"Haha, I'm aware. In this world, I'm doomed to play this role. The Singularity… Kousaka Honoka is the only one who can defeat Second. Her, chosen by Autumn… Really, Seira, you ended up training one hell of an heir."

Seira couldn't help but smile. "Honoka is special, yes. Regardless of if you believe it because of her personality, her skill, or the fact that Autumn chose her. Even I, chosen by winter, can't compare."

"Then, you know the true reason we need First."

"Mm. Pestilence has told me as much."

"Good. Then, let's stop wasting time." Erena turned back towards the centre circle, towards the something that lingered in the middle. "Come, First. I accept you as a part of me."

A wave of force almost knocked Ruby off her feet as something slammed into Erena, making her take a step back. Seira's eyebrows shot up when she realized what had just happened. Void took a perfectly normal, fine, stable step backwards. Everybody waited in anticipation as Erena stood with her eyes closed for over a minute, not saying a word.

"Heh…" She finally broke the silence with a chuckle. "Nothing that you can show me will surprise me, First. I am the Void, she who has already observed the end." She slowly opened her eyes, eyes that now glowed a bright red and looked between the gathered girls. This time, her voice came out mixed. Surely, it was still her voice, but there was another behind it, calm, composed. "**It is a pleasure to see all of you. Though this is not a first-time meeting for all present, I believe in pleasantries.**" Erena bowed deeply. "**I am the First Demon Lord, the beginning.**" Seira and Ruby were on their toes, obviously still wary even though they knew that they needed him. A smile cracked on Erena's face and she struck a pose with a sideways peace sigh over her right eye. "**But my friends call me Mako-chan! Nice to meetcha!**"

"… Eh?"

* * *

"You…"

Umi's grip tightened on Yo's wrist. "I said… begone!" Her red eyes flared and Yo could only watch as her fingers were peeled off the girl by some force. Umi finally let go of her wrist but as soon as she did, the grey-haired girl found herself being flung back across the room. She landed on her feet, bringing her sword back to bare.

"Aren't you the interesting one, Sixth? Even though I've completely stopped time around us, you're still able to move. Defying the very laws of space-time now, are we?"

"I'm sorry to break it to you, Watanabe-san, but Origin seems to be frozen in time as well. It's just you and I."

Yo blinked and tilted her head. "Oh? Eh… Who were you again, host of Sixth?"

"Sonoda Umi."

"Ah, yeah, right, Umi. Nice to know, I guess. So? The eyes of Sixth allow him to nullify my power on him or rather, on you in this case? That won't be enough to save you." Yo pointed her katana forward. "So pull out whatever trick you have."

Umi narrowed her eyes. Yo was clearly being cautious of her, much more so than she would normally be. Maybe it was because she wasn't quite sure what the complete power of Sixth's eyes entailed, but she wasn't approaching the bluenette. That was lucky for her, she wasn't entirely sure about this whole thing yet. Even though, from Origin's memory, she thought she should have an absolute advantage, she wasn't sure what, exactly, Yo might be capable of.

"I hope you don't mind me making things even." Umi's eyes glowed brightly and she held one hand towards the girl. "With my authority as the Origin, I seal away your heart."

Yo lifted her blade to guard but the sword simply vanished. Her eyes widened and she opened and closed one hand as if wondering if the sword had turned invisible. "You… took away my Demonbrand?"

"A temporary seal. Origin gave humans the ability to use Demonbrands and he can take it away, albeit temporarily." Umi felt a drop of sweat trickle down her brow. From Sixth's observations, Second's eyes should have no other hidden abilities. The power to stop time is so powerful that he assumed there would be no other hidden abilities. Stopping Nico's weapon seemed to just be a use of his ability to stop time on a smaller scale. If that was the case, Umi shouldn't have much to fear from the Master of Stars without her Demonbrand.

"Ha… Haha! That's amazing! Of course! How could I not even consider that a possibility? Sealing away our hearts? Haha! You're amazing, Sixth! Ah, I guess I should call _you_ by name, right? Well now, Umi-chan. Eh… I'm so used to calling people by their styles, it almost feels wrong to call someone by name again… Well, whatever."

Umi barely listened to the girl's rambling. She tried focusing like Origin had told her. When she first opened his eyes, she had fallen away, somewhere deep inside herself or maybe inside Origin. He had explained what she needed to do but the thought of messing up and getting everybody killed weighed heavily on her. Then again, everybody would die if she did nothing… Umi tightened her hand into a fist at her side. It was now or never.

She kept that one hand extended but opened it. "Come, Origin." She felt a light tugging at her heart, as if someone was grabbing it. It was, to put it lightly, the worst feeling she had ever experienced. An otherworldly chill filled her entire body and she felt like puking but held it together as that tugging sensation grew stronger until a small light appeared in her palm. She sighed in relief and grabbed it, the light bursting into shape. When it subsided, a katana took its place.

Yo finally paused her laughing to look the girl up and down. "Sixth's Demonbrand? Now that's something I never thought I would lay eyes on. That's really where it all started, huh? The first Demonbrand to come into existence. The true spark that allowed humans to defend the overworld from demons. I'm honoured, hahaha." Her genuine laugh subsided into a smirk. "So? You're going to kill me, Umi-chan? I'll be honest, I doubt you have it in you. Even to protect your friend, killing another human probably goes way beyond what you're capable of. Not to mention I won't go down without a fight. I'm capable enough to fight an untrained swordsman even without my Demonbrand."

Umi didn't doubt that. Nor did she doubt what she had said about her. Was she really capable of killing another human? Origin had staked everything on giving her access to his Demonbrand, his heart. Origin was that desperate to save Honoka. Was she about to let all of his efforts go to waste? Was not she not equally, if not more, desperate to save her best friend? This person in front of her would kill even more of her friends if she just let her go. Could she really bear the weight of that? Looking into those deep blue eyes reminded her of her best friend. Her best friend who was fighting for her life in the Underworld.

_Why…? Why am I hesitating? I know… I know Honoka would do the same. After seeing Origin's memories, I promised myself I would do whatever it would take. So, why? Why are my hands shaking while wielding this blade? Why does it feel wrong? Is killing her the answer? I'm not a Demon Slayer. I'm not Honoka. I can't strike with no hesitation. How could someone get used to it? I… I want to save her. To save my dear friend. But…_

Umi swallowed the lump in her throat. She remembered watching her best friend's movements when she fought alongside Maki. She remembered when Honoka, even when she was injured badly, jumped off the apartment railing to strike down demons to save her and Hanayo. Honoka never thought of herself. She was always thinking of the people around her and whether they were safe or not. Umi felt a small smile forming and shook her head.

"You're really something, Honoka. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. I'll finish this now." Umi pointed her sword at the girl. "My only ace are these eyes. All of the overworld remains as Origin's territory. From the moment he brought Demonbrands into this world, he claimed an undeniable right. As his host and the holder of his eyes, I have inherited Origin's authority. That is why your eyes are useless against me. In the Underworld, you would have won. But this is our world, a world you were only once a part of, Watanabe-san. As the new holder of that authority, it's my job to expel you from this world."

"Hmph. Is that how it is? Fine, then. Come at me, Sonoda Umi. If your resolve to save Four Seasons is really that strong, then come at me with everything you have. Anything less and I'll end you right here." Yo shifted into what Umi could only guess was some sort of strange fighting stance, one hand held out towards the bluenette.

Umi took a deep breath, tightening her grip on the hilt. This would be her only chance and she knew that very well. She was no strange to swordplay, having practiced kendo a decent amount, but she knew that the swordplay that Demon Slayers performed was on an entirely different level. She just needed one clean strike to stop the girl in front of her… to kill her. The thought still sent a wave of nausea over her, but when she pictured Honoka fighting for her life, it was enough to get her feet moving. She moved in quickly, sword held for a straight on strike. Yo smirked as she got within a few feet of her.

"You must really be stupid…" Yo grabbed at the centre of her chest, her hand digging into the skin, blood pouring out the new wound. A bright light glowed around her hand and when she pulled it back, Umi could see she was pulling her Demonbrand literally straight out of her chest. The bluenette was glad she had kept moving, not deterred by the reappearance of the sword. "Even with those damn eyes, you can never touch my heart! Star style, 5th blade, Starburst!"

Even in the face of blade from the Master of Stars, Umi had no choice but to swing that sword, that sword that was not even born of her heart, but of the heart of a Demon Lord. She swung it hoping only that it would be enough. Honoka flickered across her mind and she felt that smile somehow coming back despite her situation. There was no way a normal… well, 'normal,' human like her could ever hope to stand up to a Demon Slayer's blade. But here she was, against all odds, swinging the heart of a Demon Lord. Would she ever do something so crazy in her life again? Really… after all those years, Honoka still managed to drag her into some crazy things.

"Haaa!" Umi swung her sword down, a perfectly clean swing, one that she could definitely call her best. _Ching_. Steel met with steel. But it was no competition. It was obvious from the second that the swords collided which one would prevail. The snap of metal, the silence of a sword swinging through the air once again, the tearing of flesh as the sword slid across a girl's chest, spraying blood in every direction. The thud as the girl fell back, struggling to look up at her opponent. And the smile the girl wore when she realized that, despite everything, she had still lost.

"Ha… Really, breaking my Demonbrand isn't fair, Umi-chan…" Yo shakily lifted her hand to examine the smashed sword before releasing it, letting it fade away. "And look at this… my wound isn't regenerating at all… So much for being immortal, huh? Haha, guh…" Yo coughed out some blood to her side before making eye contact with the bluenette again. "Absolute authority in the overworld, huh? Yeah… I suppose I wouldn't be able to beat that."

Umi nodded slowly. "I do think you're a great warrior, Watanabe-san. However… and it might not be my place to say this, but I believe you chose the wrong path. Whether or not you actively tried to defeat the Demon Lords, I don't believe siding with them was the solution. Perhaps it was because you truly became bored of this world, but to end it…"

She was cut off by another laugh. "Ahhh… You should have seen the look, long ago, in Second's eyes, when he spoke about this. He may have gotten carried away, pulled off the path but… He truly cared for his kind."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Beyond this world… Second would never admit it, but he believed… guh… that coming to the overworld in the first place was wrong. He believed that demons should have stayed in the Underworld. After all… it's impossible… for demons to coexist with humans. The only way they can stay in the overworld is devouring people. Terrible, right?" Yo snorted but flinched from the pain it caused. "He never… wanted to sacrifice this world. He thought he could… find a place beyond the overworld… one where he could bring demonkind to. He never believed… that the veil between the overworld and Underworld could be repaired. So, his only choice… would be to find a new world for them."

Umi gave her a sympathetic expression but shook her head. "I'm sorry. Even if you tell me this, it doesn't change what he has done and what he is trying to do."

Yo waved off her words. "I'm not, guh, trying to get you to feel sympathy, Umi. I just…" Yo smiled wearily and let out a long sigh. "I don't want to die… being the only one to know what he really wanted. Second… became misguided, desperate. The Void… corrupted his mind. After she showed him the possibilities… he slowly drifted farther and farther… until there was little left of who he was. I miss him… the Second that I knew." Yo let out one more quiet giggle, her eyes slowly flickering closed, she was losing the struggle to keep them open. "So… Hurry up… and kill him… so I… can see him… again…" As she finished, her head lulled to the side.

As soon as her eyes closed, everything started moving again. Shouts sounded from each of the girls, but they all blinked, slowly taking in the scene before them. Umi let out a breath that shook her entire body. She turned and offered as good of a smile as she could manage to the girls. She was about to speak when the room started shaking. Everybody went on edge, hands on swords. The dais in the centre of the room slowly parted, revealing a hole beneath. A… coffin? Definitely a coffin. A stone coffin slowly rose from the hole. The front unceremoniously fell to the floor, revealing the redheaded woman inside.

"M-Mother!?" Maki ran up as the woman fell forward, just barely catching her. "What…?"

Umi looked back at Yo in confusion before a small smile crested her face. A small symbol, drawn in blood, lay next to her hand.

"Just what did you make me kill you for…? Idiot."

* * *

"Void style, 2nd blade, To nothing."

"Void style, 1st blade, Null."

Yoshiko's blade easily slammed through Kanan's, knocking her sword high. "Four seasons, Autumn style, 1st blade, Fall." Honoka was surprised by how easy she found it to fight alongside the heir to Void. Their movements fell in sync. She was always right behind Yoshiko, always at her side when she struck, ready to lash out with a strike in the opening that she created. They fought in perfect harmony, a melody of blades that rang out in the otherwise silent Underworld. Honoka's blade struck true, blasting open Kanan's stomach but it was still no use. The girl simply backed away, her stomach immediately closing up.

"Immortals really are a pain to deal with." Yoshiko said, raising her katana to let it rest on her shoulder. "But, well, I could beat you down all day."

"You really are something, Yoshiko, to raise your sword against me."

"To beat you with it." Yoshiko snorted. "You're nothing but a corrupted fragment of the Void, Kanan, Second, whatever you like to be called. Perhaps there was a time where you would have been able to defeat me, a time where you wielded the Void with pride, where you poured your everything into it. Now that you have become a misguided fool, you no longer have a right to the Void. As the proper heir to Void, I am simply putting you in your place."

Kanan just shook her head. "Call me as you will, Yoshiko. Regardless of what you believe, I am the Void. In the end, you will never kill me. You seem to not understand. I need not even kill you to achieve my goal. Look at her." She nodded towards Chika who was still in the same position but was sweating profusely, her breathing heavy. "It is no simple task to maintain an entire world. Sun is preventing the breaking of the Underworld, but the second she stops… I win. I need only time, something I have an unlimited amount of."

"Fight!" They all turned to look at Chika who looked like even speaking was just about too much for her. "Don't stop fighting, Void-chan, Honoka-chan! I'll keep this up for as long as I have to, so don't worry about me. The Sun doesn't burn out so easily."

"Hmph. Quite cocky, aren't we, Sun? Haha. Let's see what happens then, if I expel you from the Underworld." Kanan raised her hand, darkness pooling from it onto the ground below her. "Come forth, Eighth, to banish the Sun from the Underworld forevermore. The darkness began rising, taking shape slowly. Honoka's eyes widened. Even though she had seen it before, it still made her blink twice to make sure she was seeing it correctly. It took the form of Maki's mother, the Head she knew.

That same black liquid from before shot out from her feet twisting and spreading, reaching for Chika. At first, it was burned away when it reached the molten ground, but it soon began spreading through it, slowly inching its way towards her.

"Void style, 3rd blade, Last words." Yoshiko swung her sword out, severing the line of black liquid but it continued to spread around Chika. "Eh?"

"It may have been easy enough for you to be rid of it on the overworld, but not here. Here in the Underworld, the place where Eighth was born, you have no chance. Begone, Sun! Enjoy your last moments in the overworld!"

Chika could only at the black liquid and cringe. She had no doubt in her mind that she could destroy it, but not without breaking her concentration and letting the veil shatter. She tried to think of something, anything that she could use but that black liquid had already crossed the molten ground, now circling around her.

"Chika-chan!" Her snapped up to see Honoka running over to her. Kanan lashed out at her, but Yoshiko easily intercepted that blade. "I'm sorry, but please hold out! Four seasons, Autumn style, 5th blade, Tsukimi." Honoka sliced through the black liquid as if it wasn't there. As soon as the Autumn blade touched it, it was completely wiped away.

It was audible, the sound of glass shattering. Several more cracks appeared in the sky above them, all at once. Chika gritted her teeth in pain, her fingers digging into the ground below her as she tried desperately to hold the world together.

"Y-You're… really putting me to the test here, Honoka-chan…" Even through all of that, she managed to meet the eyes of the ginger with a confident smirk.

"It's nothing the Sun can't handle, right?" Honoka returned that confident smirk with one of her own.

"Ha. Damn right. I'll be fine so… go."

Honoka nodded and turned back to see Kanan laughing once again. "Are you an idiot, Four Seasons? Ahaha! Speeding up the process for me? I appreciate it, I truly do. Please, again, if you would." The black liquid shot out once again but this time it stopped before it reached them. "Hm?" The figure of Maki's mother distorted before returning to a black mass that spasmed in various direction before settling into a puddle of the liquid. Kanan opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly grabbed her chest. "What…?" A bright light flashed in front of her and she screamed, clutching her chest as the light rose all around her before coalescing over her hand and slowly seeping through her chest until it was gone. "Ha… ha… this… Those fools killed my host…?"

"That's right." Everybody's head snapped towards the direction of the voice, a new voice. Four sets of footsteps seemed to echo in the silence that followed.

Erena led the pack, moving with obvious confidence. Seira and Kotori walked on either side of her, both with confident smiles as well. Ruby trailed behind a bit, trying to hide behind the other three while still peeking out.

"Void, Four Seasons…" Kanan narrowed her eyes. "Pestilence."

"Hi! Long time no see, Second!" Kotori giggled.

Honoka blinked. "Eh? M-Master? K-Kotori-chan?"

Kotori gave her a smile but shook her head. "I'll explain everything later, Honoka-chan. We really don't have much time."

"Master…?" Yoshiko stared at her master in awe. "You're… That presence… your legs… Did you…?"

"I've done what is necessary, Yoshiko." Erena moved over to stand next to her, her Demonbrand appearing in hand. She turned her head towards Kanan who was fuming at the sight of the four. "We have little time though. Sun will not be able to hold this world together forever. So, let us begin, shall we?" Erena blinked once, her eyes glowing a bright red when reopened.

"First…!"

"**Now, come, Second. For the sins you have committed, your judgment time is upon you.**"

* * *

**Like I said, really reaching the end here! Stay safe, pois.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	45. BOW VI - Return of the First II

**READ**: **Okay, so, here's what's happening. I ended up writing one really long chapter but thought it would be better to just post it as two. I'm going to fix up the second part before posting it though.**

**So, I'll keep this short. The next chapter will be the last chapter of the story aside from an epilogue. Yes, there will be an epilogue after this next chapter. Also the next chapter might be a bit long anyways. You'll see why I don't want to post them as one.**

**Anyways, enjoy.**

* * *

Kotori hopped over to stand next to Honoka, flashing her most innocent smile. "Hey, Honoka-chan. We thought you might need a little help. I'm sorry I don't really have time to explain things right now."

"Pestilence." Seira called, walking over. "Like you said, we don't have time. Let's allow Void and First to do what they to. Void's heir and I will hold off Second. If you feel like helping, feel free." Seira snorted at the thought and Kotori giggled.

"I'm not much of a fighter, please."

"Pestilence…?" Honoka started but didn't have time to finish the thought.

"So many annoyances…" Kanan gritted her teeth in frustration and held her sword up. "Begone, insects. You who would allow our kind to fall to nothing, failure of the First. You who use the weapons of a Demon Lord to slay demons." A flash of light around her sword coalesced into a golden ball centered at the tip. Kanan's eyes flared red. "From this world to the next… May all life perish." The ground around her started to crack, rocks bursting into the air.

Seira looked towards Erena. "First! What the hell is that?"

"**It would seem I have been away for too long. The authority of the Underworld. How ironic. 'Allow our kind to fall to nothing.' This is a power that drains the life force of countless demons across the Underworld, an ace in his sleeve, if you would like to call it that.**" Erena shook her head. "**Even with my authority as the First, I cannot stop that.**"

Pestilence gave a nervous laugh. "You're not telling me that we came here for nothing, right? An ace in the sleeve like this would be worth mentioning, would it not?"

"**I did not believe he would have stolen the authority in the short time I have been away. A miscalculation on my part.**" "Ahhh, this would have been something useful to show me." Erena laughed. "Look at the way it's distorting the very space around it. There's no way we can even approach that, much less get a blade through. Is he planning on destroying the entire Underworld along with us?"

Sure enough, just as she said, the very space around Kanan seemed to distort and twist, not allowing a clear image of the girl for the rest. Rocks and dirt around her turned to nothing in the wake of the light above her head.

"Are you all idiots!?" All heads turned in Chika's direction. "You're all so useless! Giving up that easily? We don't need to reach him! We just need to stop that move! Void-chan!" Yoshiko blinked in surprise. "We're going to stop it!"

"Eh? While I may be confident in my abilities, I know when…"

"Oh, shut up!" Chika closed her eyes and took a calming breath. "I, Takami Chika, hereby relinquish my authority as the Sun." Jaws dropped as the words left her mouth, a small light flickering to life in front of her. "For this day, I will light up the night sky. May all under your light feel your warmth!" The ball of light shot forward, slamming into her Demonbrand, almost knocking Yoshiko off her feet. The blade began glowing dimly.

"Sun, you…"

Seira looked up at the sky, but the light still held. Even the ground around Chika stayed molten. She was still exuding the radiance of the Sun around her. "That girl… Despite giving up her authority over the Sun, she's still exerting her will over it."

Yoshiko stared at the blade in her hand but didn't have time to consider what it meant.

"The blade that slew the evil dragon… Destroy them, Imhullu."

Kanan swung her sword down, the ball of light expanding as the arc lowered. The ball expanded, blasting out in a wave of energy that tore through rock and dirt with ease, obliterating everything it touched. Yoshiko drew Chika's now-glowing Demonbrand back. "With my authority as the Void, I release your constraints. Fill me with the nothing of the Void, the beginning and the end." Darkness gathered around the sword, but that did nothing to further dim the glow. Yoshiko took a step forward. "Void style, 1st blade, Null."

Yoshiko swung her sword just in time to meet the blast wave of energy. And, to everyone's relief, her sword held it back, the blade simultaneously bursting with the light of the Sun and the darkness of the Void. The sound of the collision was deafening, Honoka was sure that was what the sound of the end of the world would be. Despite that noise, a voice reached her ears, a soft voice, strangely so.

"Four Seasons." Honoka turned slowly to look Erena in the eyes. "Quite the sight, is it not? Both my heir and the heir to the Sun are amazing."

"Eh? Uh, yeah." Honoka didn't expect some casual conversation when they were in the middle of a potentially world-ending event. "Why…?"

"**We have not the time, Kousaka Honoka.**" The voice shifted, but to her surprise, it was an equally as soft voice. It definitely sounded nothing like what she was expecting. "**It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. I thank the line of Four Seasons for protecting my place of birth.**"

Honoka tightened her grip on her sword. "First… After all the shit you put our line through? What about how much Master suffered? And Ryoma-san?"

A sigh from Erena and she continued. "**I had to watch the line of Four Seasons closely, to wait for the day when the Singularity was taken in.**" Singularity? That's what Yoshiko and the Void had called her. What did it mean though? "**You, Kousaka Honoka, heir to the Four Seasons, Daughter of Autumn, are the Singularity in this world, chosen by Fourth to stop calamity.**"

"All of you keep talking about this 'singularity' stuff but you haven't told me what it means! And why are you even alive? Autumn told me you were dead!" Honoka was getting more than a little frustrated at the fact that she felt like she was being kept in the dark on almost everything despite somehow also being at the centre of this whole thing.

"**One thing at a time, Honoka-kun. I believe there is someone much more suited to answer your questions, a being that knows much more than I ever could hope to.**" Erena shifted slightly. "**I know it may seem like much to ask, but I will need your trust. I recognize that I am a Demon Lord, one that has long loomed over the line of Four Seasons, one that has caused suffering for your line.**"

"Who's this 'being' that knows so much more than the First Demon Lord?"

"**Autumn, herself.**"

Honoka's eyes widened at that. "I've already talked to Autumn before. But she said…"

"**That you would never speak to her again. You are disconnected from your authority over Autumn. That is to say, she chose you but did not grant you authority. Or perhaps you subconsciously rejected the authority when inhering the Four Seasons.**"

Erena must have shoved first away because she took over speaking. "Listen, Four Seasons. Since this idiot only likes to speak in riddles and half-truths, I'll tell you. Fourth made you the Singularity, he chose you by placing the Heart of the Void in your arm and turning you into a Demon Slayer. Why? That's something you'd have to ask him if he were still around to answer. The reason doesn't matter. Right now, we're on a time crunch for the life or death of every human. Do you want to argue with First or save the overworld?"

Honoka clenched her hand around her Demonbrand, only some of the anger subsiding. "Of course I want to save the overworld…"

Erena clapped and smiled. "Then, do us a favour and let First help you, alright?" It still seemed like a prospect doomed for failure, but what choice did she really have? Honoka reluctantly nodded and Erena grinned. "Good, good. Well, first thing's first. We need you to reclaim your authority… or claim it the first time, whatever it is. The point is, we can't win this if you don't have authority over at least Autumn. The lack of said authority is why your blade has no effect against Kanan."

"**So, I will send you deep into your subconscious, where Autumn rests within you. After that, it will be up to you. It is completely possible that Autumn will not give you authority over her. In that case… I hope you are prepared to defeat Autumn.**"

"D-Defeat? Is defeating a style even possible?"

"**Under normal circumstances, perhaps not. Having authority over a style, prevents you from dealing true damage to them. Such is the reason Yoshiko is not truly able to damage the Void. However, you lack the authority over Autumn. In that case, it is completely possible for you to defeat her. I will not say that will be an easy task.**"

Defeat Autumn and claim authority over her… Honoka shook her head. Just days ago she never would have even imagined fighting against her own style. And now it was one of her only two options? Where had the simple life of traveling with Seira and Hanayo gone? Now she was in the Underworld, fighting to keep the very world she loved from splitting apart. She could almost laugh at how ridiculous it all was.

In fact, a smile did come to her face, but one filled with determination. She looked over to Hanayo who still lay unmoving. "Take care of her while I'm gone. No matter what happens."

"**Hm. Your dedication to your partner is admirable, Honoka-kun. However, very little if any time will pass while you reside within your own mind. If something does happen, I will stake my life to protect her… as repentance. Now may not be the time, but I truly am sorry for the suffering I have…**"

Honoka waved off the apology. "If you're really sorry, then just make sure to protect her if anything happens."

"**Very well. We will need the Oracle, if you so please, Pestilence**."

As if Kotori had been ignoring the fact that Yoshiko was barely holding back a blast of energy that would kill them all and end the world, she perked up at her name. "Oh, right away! Nozomi-chan, you there?" Kotori clicked on the speaker button on her phone.

"_I am but… what the heck is that sound? I can barely hear you!_"

"Don't worry about it, Nozomi-chan! Besides, we have bigger things to worry about! Or well… that's exactly what we're worrying about right now."

"Eh? Wait, Nozomi-chan?" First Kotori and now Honoka, just who else was she going to end up seeing today?

Kotori waved the question off. "Nozomi-chan, I'm going to give the phone to Void. She'll explain what you need to do alright?"

"_Alright…_"

Erena grabbed the phone and sighed in annoyance. "Just give it to me in the first place, Pestilence… Listen up, Oracle. You already did it once, so you should be able to do it again. Channel the Void into me. Though I loathe to admit it, you are the only one with complete access and proper communication to the Void right now."

"_Eh?_" Nozomi paused and when she continued, she spoke with more confidence. "_I can do it. The Void already knows what you want to do. So… I should be able to channel it through the phone._"

"Mm. Good. Start it now, directly into me. Four Seasons, come." Honoka swallowed and closed the distance between them. Erena placed a hand on top of her head. "It's going to feel like fainting, but it'll happen so quickly, you won't even notice. Are you ready?"

Honoka still felt unsure, but she tightened her grip on her sword and nodded. "If it's our only choice, then that's that. Get me in there, Void." Honoka shook her head. "Erena-chan."

Erena gave a genuine laugh at that and nodded. "Then, let's go. I'll send you… straight to Autumn."

* * *

Honoka would give it to her, it was akin to passing out, except maybe even quicker. One moment she was there and the next she wasn't. She was falling through darkness, but not a cold and unusual darkness, a warm, comforting darkness, the space of her mind. And unlike when she was in the Void, she didn't feel lost. She knew exactly where she was. Nobody could be more familiar with her own mind than her, right? Her feet finally touched something solid in the darkness, a place for her to stand.

As far as she could see there was nothing, but that felt fine. It wasn't unsettling, it was just… how it should be, she figured. "Autumn…?" She called lightly but her voice carried through the darkness, echoing off unseen walls. The scarf around her neck began vibrating lightly and she reached up to touch it in confusion. From the way Autumn phrased it last time, she assumed the scarf had used up all of its magic. And she shouldn't need it to see Autumn now anyways.

A small light formed in the darkness, far above her, slowly, so slowly, floating down until it was at eye level with her. It expanded out, taking on the only form she was familiar with in regard to the season. Eli, or rather Autumn, smiled back at her. Honoka immediately summoned her Demonbrand to her side, glad that she could still use the blade in her mind.

"Woah." Autumn held her hands up. "Looks like you already decided to go for that second option, huh? No time to talk this time?"

Honoka shook her head. "I'm sorry. If you don't care about the world ending, that's fine. But if something happens while I'm gone… I need to get back as soon as I can. I don't know what all this authority stuff is about, but you're going to give me authority over you or I'll take you down right here."

"Ahaha! I always knew you were an interesting girl, Honoka, from the moment I chose you."

"This isn't the time to joke around! Why wouldn't you give me something so important anyways? If you trust me as your heir, shouldn't I have gotten that authority when I accepted Seira's offer? Or when I mastered the blades?"

Autumn shrugged. "I have my reasons." The smile slipped off her face in an instant, replaced with the stern look Honoka was used to seeing from Eli. "Your body is too weak to inherit my authority. And I don't mean just yours. Human bodies. Seira-chan is not the first Daughter of Winter in our long line. But you are the first Daughter of Autumn. You are the first I chose to truly wield me. For you are the only one in this long line that has truly felt me."

"Then, that's all the more reason…!"

"I told you. Your body, especially now, is in no condition to handle my authority." Honoka started to speak up again but Autumn raised a hand to silence her. "You are suffering from extreme elixir poisoning right now. You may be able to fool others with how well you can still move, but I can feel the pain every movement you make. Your body is on the verge of collapsing. If I give my authority to you, you will die before you can accomplish anything with it."

"Am I supposed to not take that risk!?" Images of her friends flew through her mind, images of the people waiting for her, facing the end of the world, an image of Hanayo laying helpless on the ground. "After all we've been through, you think I can put my life ahead of the entire world!? Don't screw with me!" Autumn blinked in surprise at that. Honoka furiously wiped away angry tears that slid down her face. She gripped the hilt of her sword and met eyes with Autumn. "I'm not going to sit by and watch all my friends die."

Autumn tilted her head before snapping up. "Oh! You're upset that I lied to you about First being dead. Ahaha. Sorry, sorry, we are in your mind after all, I can't really help but see what's going on."

"That's… something. But I don't really have time for…"

"Nonsense. Time is virtually at a standstill while you're in here. I don't particularly like lying to my heir, but it had to be done. You telling the heir to Void that First was dead was my sign to the Void… well, the actual Void, not the corrupt Void, that it was time. You see, Void has an Oracle…"

Honoka could have facepalmed at how ridiculous the situation was. Was Autumn purposely not taking her seriously? Regardless of her worries about Honoka's body, the ginger knew she had to take that authority, one way or the other. And, even thought time might be at a standstill, she hated the thought of being in there while her friends were facing eminent death.

"Four seasons, Autumn style, 1st blade." Honoka dashed forward, the fires of determination lighting up her eyes as she swung her sword out. "Fall." It didn't take a genius to guess that Autumn would dodge the blade, but she did so with such ease that it still threw the ginger off a bit, causing her to stumble before catching her footing again, turning to face Autumn who just sighed.

"That won't do at all, Honoka. Attacking me isn't very nice."

Honoka struggled to find some kind of solution, but realized quickly that Autumn would instantly know anything she came up with. She was fighting a losing game even though she was fighting inside her own mind. She didn't lose faith from that realization though. If anything, it got her even more fired up. If Autumn would know every move she was going to use, then she just had to go with something that would work no matter what. She had a blade like that, a blade that Yoshiko had warned her about, a blade that even her Master had warned her about.

Autumn choked out something between a laugh and gasp. "You can't be serious, Honoka. If you sever your link with me with that blade, we'll never be able to reconnect. The Four Seasons will forever be lost to you."

Honoka took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She concentrated on Autumn, on the feeling that she felt when fighting Ryoma that day. She shifted slightly and heard the crunch of leaves underneath her feet. A smile tugged at her lips and she loosened her grip on her hilt. "In that case…" She opened her eyes to find that they no longer stood in the dark depths of her mind, but on a dirt path littered with red and orange leaves. Trees lined the path, their leaves lazily falling through the air to join the piles around them. "Thank you for everything you've done for me until now. Both you and the other seasons. This… This is one time I can't back down, not even to you, Autumn."

"Is that truly your resolve?" Autumn's face remained impassive but Honoka kept her smile.

"Mm. I'll protect this world that my friends live in. Even if I can never become part of it again… I won't let them be dragged down with me. So, once again, thank you. But this goodbye. Four seasons, Autumn style, 5th blade."

Honoka took her time walking, the pressure of the world quite literally on her shoulders, weighing her every step. For the last year, she had felt a responsibility, both to the Four Seasons and Seira. For their sake and the sake of Hanayo, her treasured partner and friend, she trained as hard as she could, mastered blades quicker than other heirs. But now it felt like her world had turned completely upside down. All those nights ago, when she trained with Seira, day and night, when she begged Seira to teach her the Autumn blades, she never imagined she would be facing the season itself in combat. She never thought, after working so hard, she would be so willing to give up that style. But to her, that just screamed how important her friends were to her. It made her already radiant smile shine brighter.

Autumn remained stoic as she approached, showing no signs of resistance. She didn't summon a sword of her own, just stood with her arms crossed, staring straight into the blue orbs of her heir. Honoka slowly drew her sword as she came within striking distance, but the strike itself was as fast as it had ever been. A swift, single strike that was even capable of severing the veil between worlds.

"Tsuki―"

"Ahaha!"

Honoka had steeled herself to slice right through the girl with that blade but the sudden burst of laughter made her pull her sword back at the last second, just barely missing. Part of her regretted it, she almost expected it to be some kind of trick and she started to take a step back, wondering if Autumn was going to strike out at her. She tried to bring her sword back in front of her as she saw the image of her friend move forward, but Autumn was far too quick.

"Eh?" Instead of feeling the pain of a blade, she felt warmth as the girl wrapped her arms around her, pulling Honoka's head into her chest, still laughing the entire time. "W-Wha?"

"You're so adorable, Honoka!" Autumn was almost in tears laughing, but finally calmed down when she saw the confused look on the ginger's face. "You were really going to strike me down there, huh? Well, that would have been a shame. I wouldn't want to abandon you, especially in your time of need."

"Y-You're the one that…!"

"Shhh." Autumn ran a hand through ginger locks and gave her a gentle, caring smile. "While it's true that I do not want to give you authority over Autumn… If you have that kind of resolve, how can I say no?" She finally let Honoka go who stumbled back a few steps, letting the words register. When they did, her eyes lit up.

"Y-You're serious? You'll give me authority?"

Autumn chuckled and nodded. "I will." Her smile was replaced with a hard line as she spoke her next words. "However, what I said was true. I'll do my best to protect your body but… With the condition it's already in, I would not be surprised if you died the instant you took authority over me. Listen, Honoka. Normally, you can't just relinquish authority over a style. Sun is… an exception to many rules. In our case… I don't believe it will be possible for you to relinquish my authority. To be blunt, I think the chance of you dying is much higher than living. In the event that you can't relinquish it, which is very likely, you will almost certainly die.

Honoka nodded slowly, taking it all in. She was definitely prepared to die… or at least, she thought she was. Her hands shook slightly, and she had to tighten one around her sword and one into a fist for them to stop. Now that she was looking a likely death in the face, it was hitting her pretty hard. Even if she managed to save them, she might never see them again, might never see any of her friends again.

"Pfft." Honoka shook her head and let her whole body relax. "Worrying like this really isn't like me…" She looked up to meet eyes with her season once again. "Even so… Let's do this. I want to save them no matter what."

"Good, good. I love your passion." That gentle smile returned, and Autumn offered a hand which the ginger quickly grabbed onto. The leaves around them rustled and shifted, tickling at their legs. "I knew from the moment I saw this landscape. This is your landscape, not mine. In the end, Autumn will always be yours. I will always be at your side, ready for you command, ready to fight alongside you. I may be just a bit evil, stealing your life to fight, but you will use me anyways. I wish only the best for my dear heir, my dear daughter."

The leaves around them began spinning in some kind of invisible wind, getting swept up in a torrent around them, obstructing Honoka's view of everything but Autumn. A warm feeling filled her chest and she felt a bit dizzy. Her vision began shifting in and out of focus.

"W-What…?"

"The body's natural reaction would be to reject my authority. I'm slowly forcing it into you. As soon as I do, you'll return to the Underworld. Don't worry, I don't need to explain my authority to you. Once you have it, you'll know exactly how to use it." Honoka tried to nod but wasn't sure what she was doing with her head. Her head felt like it was spinning, and she was quickly losing sense of the world around her. "Now go… my precious heir. Show Second the true power of Autumn."

Through that dizziness and blurred vision, she caught one last clear glimpse of Autumn giving her a smile. Just as she felt her own lips curling into a smile, everything fell away.

* * *

Honoka's eyes snapped open. The first thing she noticed was that time must really not have passed. Erena still had her hand on her head which meant that she had probably just closed and opened her eyes. Maybe one second had passed. The second thing she noticed was the intense pain in her chest and stomach. She immediately doubled over, puking out a sizeable puddle of blood. "Guh…!" Not only was she feeling the effects from her elixir poisoning, but it felt amplified, probably because of the authority that rested within her. Giving credence to what Autumn had said, she didn't feel like she would last very long.

The third and final thing she noticed was the scarf around her neck. It still vibrated with magic, tickling her neck. Some way or another, it must not have been completely out of the magic that had allowed her to see Autumn before. But why was it still vibrating? Why was it still releasing mana?

"Honoka!" Seira ran up to her, rubbing a hand on her back. Honoka hadn't even noticed that she had puked up more blood a second time until her master was at her side.

"I-I'm… okay… It's just elixir poisoning."

Seira turned a stern look on her. "No. It's Autumn's authority. I can feel it around you but I can also tell what it's doing to your body. Honoka, you…"

Honoka dropped her Demonbrand and reached out with her one arm, wrapping Seira in a hug. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me, Master. Even through all of this, I never want you to think that I regret agreeing to be your heir that day. I love you, Master."

That let Seira know all she needed to. She tightly wrapped her heir in a hug. "I'm glad… I've always been so happy to have you as my heir, Honoka." She sniffed and Honoka could swear she was crying. "After all, I never wanted to take an heir. But when I saw you that day… I knew it. And I've never regretted it. I love you, Honoka. We're more than just family and we'll always share this bond. No matter what."

Honoka giggled and pulled away. Sure enough, streaked down her Master's cheeks. "Come on, Master. Don't cry." She reached up and ran her finger through the tears. "Nothing is set in stone here but…" She picked up her Demonbrand and got back on her feet. "I'm going to show you… just why I'm worthy of being your heir."

Seira let out a long breath and nodded. "Go out there and show me. You're the only one who can do this after all."

Honoka turned to Yoshiko who was still struggling to hold back that wave of energy. She was clearly fighting a losing battle as she was slowly getting pushed back. Honoka took a deep breath and nodded to herself. Just like Autumn had said, she knew exactly how to use that authority. It was now or never.

"I, Kousaka Honoka, heir to the Four Seasons, Daughter of Autumn, hereby release your constraints. Use my body as a tool to create the perfect setting. My veins flow with your blood. I give my all through this body. Let them witness your beauty!" A pulse spread out from the ginger, washing over everyone there.

It all happened in just a moment. The ground was suddenly covered in the red and orange leaves that she had become so familiar with. A gentle wind blew around her. Just like in her mind, trees with the same leaves sprouted up around them, forming a large circle around the group. Everybody looked around in amazement before they noticed the even stranger occurrence. The wave of energy was still there but it… was just stopped as if frozen in time. Well, almost everybody. There was noticeable lack of the shy redhead and the heir to the Sun.

Kanan looked at her hand then at the energy that simply didn't move in front of her. Her eyes drifted around the scene before a frown found its way to her face. "You've disconnected us from the world. A pocket dimension, is it? No… a pseudo-reality pocket. A magic long lost to humans and demons alike." She stepped around the frozen blast of energy to finally look at the group again. "A world in which you control everything, I suppose?"

Honoka took a step forward but paused as she felt something wet running down her face. She reached up and touched her face. Blood. Blood was leaking from both her nose and her mouth and not in small amounts. Every step she took felt like a weight was crushing her. The pain was horrible. Spikes stabbed at her stomach, twisted it, ripped it apart. It felt like something was trying to crush her heart from the inside. She took a deep breath which only helped the fire in her chest to grow.

_Come on, Honoka. You don't have to last long. You didn't die immediately. That means I have a chance. Now all that's left is…_

She raised her head to meet Kanan's eyes. Even though she sounded calm, she could see the hatred flaring in her eyes. Honoka forced a smile through the pain. "Control everything? No. This isn't my power. This is the true authority of Autumn. I've brought you straight to her. No place in the world is closer to the true season than right here. Because she doesn't want it destroyed, you can't destroy it. That ace up your sleeve is meaningless."

Yoshiko finally relaxed from her position in front of the wave of energy and moved to stand next to the ginger. To Honoka's credit, the heir to Void looked even worse than she did. Blood poured from cuts along her face, her clothes were torn in various places, revealing deeper wounds. Honoka assumed she had still taken enough of the force of that blast to put her in such a state.

"Well, looks like our time is finally here, huh?"

Seira laughed before walking up to the other side of Honoka. "They fought in your world. Now it's time to fight in ours, don't you think?"

"A world that disallows the use of my authority over the Underworld. You've completely separated us from that world. A most impressive ability, Autumn. But… Pfft. Look at you, Four Seasons. Between the elixir poisoning and your newfound authority, your body is basically falling apart. You've sacrificed yourself for nothing."

To Honoka's surprise, Yoshiko was the first to take another step forward. "It matters not. Four Seasons is much stronger than you could ever hope to be. No matter what false hope you give yourself. Fusing with the Void… stealing the Heart of the Void… None of it matters in the face of how weak you actually are. In the Underworld, you held your own. But I wonder about now. Come, let us fight, on our terms this time."

* * *

**Maybe to some of you it doesn't feel like it, but if this does feel like an abrupt ending to the chapter, it's because of what I said before. I, fairly arbitrarily, chose this point to break it into two. The next chapter is probably going to be long as is and I thought posting a super long chapter would be kinda eh.**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	46. Our world

**Well, besides the epilogue, this is it guys. It's been a wild ride, but I won't say much here. For those of you who are interested, I want to talk about some lore stuff after this. And give some thanks.**

**And don't forget! I'll be posting an epilogue, so this isn't technically the complete end.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Void, you…"

"My heir speaks the truth." Erena laughed, moving up to stand next to her heir, a hand on the girl's shoulder. "**Our power as Demon Lords has long been fading, Second. At one time, we were powerful enough to take on any foe, but that time has long passed. We are but shells of our former selves. You know this as well as I do.**"

"Quiet, First! You have no right to speak! You gave up on us, sided with the humans! We knew what we needed to do! We knew that the only way to save ourselves was to sacrifice this world! And yet you became obsessed with humans. You grew to love them, just as Sixth did. Just as Fourth did. You and Fourth both forsook our kind! I knew from the moment we slipped through… going to the overworld was a mistake! Look what's become of us!"

"**Perhaps… it was a mistake. Sometimes I think so as well.**"

"Then…!"

"**But that does not change anything. We were the ones who invaded their world, who wreaked havoc by letting even more demons in. We mismanaged our kind. We never looked for a way to prevent them from leaving here. In the end, only we are to blame. The humans have every right to hunt us down. For what have we caused but pain and death?**"

Kanan slammed her sword into the ground, throwing dozens of leaves into the air. "So do we have no choice but the lay down and die now!? The Void showed me a possibility! It showed me a glimpse of what lies beyond the world! We can leave here forever! We can begin anew, away from everything!"

"**Do you not hear yourself, Second? You mean to sacrifice all humans and demons. And for what? What are we without the Underworld? We were all born with but one task… to manage the Underworld. And we have failed at that. We were so caught up in this new world, in finally being able to step foot in the overworld, that we lost sight of that task. And now we pay the price for failure.**"

"Don't give me that shit!" Darkness gathered around Kanan's feet, trailing up and twisting around her sword. "I don't need the authority of the Underworld to put an end to you pests. I thought I would have some fun, but you've pissed me off. I'll not hesitate to use the full power of the Void against you all."

Erena laughed but shook her head. "**You are a fool, Second. There are but four conditions we had to meet to kill you and three have been met already. First, we have taken you from the Underworld. Second, your host has died. And third, Four Seasons has claimed authority over Autumn.**"

"Do you still think those blades can harm me? Ha! You really are an idiot, First! Let her slash me all she wants! Even with authority over Autumn, that blade will never kill me!"

"**Ahaha, that is true. But that is the reason I have returned. To fulfill the fourth condition.**"

"Screw you, First!" Darkness shot forward from the girl, blasting out into a wave but Erena just smirked.

"Halt." On her order, the darkness simply stopped. "You will not defeat me using the Void, fool. I am the Master of Void and you, Matsuura Kanan, have lost your authority over the Void. You are no longer a Master of Void. You are just a fragment of the past that the Void decided to keep around."

"Fragment, figment… I'm tired of hearing those words. Silence!" Blue lights lit up above them, connecting to form a circle. More and more lights appeared, drawing intricate designs along the inner parts of the circle. "I am the end. Through my body, bring forth blood."

Seira shook her head slowly. "Demonic runes… Ancient magic? There's no way… This is far beyond simple demon magic. How…?"

"The Void." Erena spoke up and shrugged. "He must have learned some ancient magic from Kanan. Unfortunate."

Seira scanned the runes forming in the air before drawing her Demonbrand. "You're right. It's very unfortunate for her. Who knew my rune studies would be so handy twice in such a short period of time?" Seira got to work, quickly carving symbols into the ground beneath her.

"For this day, we bring about the seventh day, the day of reckoning. In this we bring about closure."

"I am the groundwork of creation, the shelter of civilization. Through my hands, cast aside all that we know. Turn back time, that we may gaze into the beginning. For at one time, we were all but nothing."

"Scorch the earth with your claws!"

"Return this heretic to its former state!"

The circle above them glowed brightly, a twisting, writhing string of blue reaching down to them. But just as fast as the light appeared, the circle above it shattered, raining down fragments of blue light that vanished as they touched the ground. The light that extended from the circle jerked upwards before simply vanishing altogether.

Erena turned wide eyes on Seira. "Four Seasons, did you just…?"

Seira tipped forward, falling to one knee, her sword the only thing keeping her from falling completely over. "Master!" Honoka bent down next to her, her Master briefly looking up at her with a smile before bringing a hand to her mouth. But she couldn't hold it in. She let go and puked out a sizeable puddle of blood in front of her. "Master? What…?"

"Haha…" Seira managed to laugh before her body shook and she puked out more blood. "The price of using ancient magic as a human… You don't have time to worry about me, Honoka. It's your turn…" Honoka cringed as her Master had another bout of choking up blood but she stood.

"**Sorry, Four Seasons.**" Honoka looked toward Erena who nodded in sympathy. "**I should not have hesitated. I'll make the opening for you, so… go.**" The ginger looked back at her Master briefly before locking eyes with Erena and nodding. "**Hmph. Good. I hope you have prepared yourself as well, Void.**" "Haha! Of course, First. Let's get this done."

"Your Master sacrifices herself in the end, huh?" Kanan snorted. "Ah, that was pretty funny at least. Well, whatever. Come, Singularity. Let me end you already so that I may rest while this world ends. I am sure there will be much to prepare beyond this world."

"**You'll have to excuse my rudeness, Second, but I will be your opponent first.**"

Kanan tilted her head as if just realizing he was there again. "Back off, First. I don't have the time, nor do I feel like expending anymore effort on you. I'm quite tired from all of this, I must admit."

A cool, composed smile crept onto Erena's lips and she started walking forward slowly. "I suppose I'll have to get your worked up again in that case. Your punishment for betraying the Void is long overdue, Kanan-chan. If only I had the time to… personally deal with you, I would love to spend more time with you."

"Tch. I said, move aside." Kanan struck out, a long-distance attack, but it simply bounced off something in front of Erena. "Wrapping yourself in the Void… I am the Void! I won't be defeated by you!" A circle appeared in front of her, instantly this time, red lightning reaching out from it, scorching the leaves and ground beneath it.

"Void style, 4th blade, Fade." The lightning vanished, the magic circle shattered. "You're panicking, Second. Your magic is getting lazy. Worried because the Void will not assist you?"

_If you'd please, First._

_**I'm sorry, Master of Void.**_

_Don't apologize to me. I loathe to admit it, but you have given me the chance to stand again, to walk forward. Though I never imagined myself saying this to a Demon Lord, I appreciate it. So, I will pay you back in full._

…

Erena raised her sword and took a deep breath. "Ugh…" Something, an arm everybody realized quickly, an ethereal arm stuck out from her chest, straight out, palm up. "Ah, that's a lot more painful than I thought it would be." Kanan struck out at her again, but again it was repelled by the shroud of Void. Erena raised her sword and cut a slow, clean cut across the palm of the arm. As soon as she did, it retracted, back into her chest, causing a small grunt and flinch from the Master of Void. She eyed her blade. The blood spread around the tip before vanishing.

"First's blood…"

"**Unlike the blood of Matsuura Kanan or the blood from a host, this is the blood a true Demon Lord. Have you lost the ability to manifest even a part of your true body, Second? Was that a price your paid for fusing with the Void. You've lost access to you blood. And you still call yourself a Demon Lord?**"

Kanan's eyes flared with anger. "Don't speak down on me, you filth! I will save our kind! You who abandoned us have no right to speak!"

Erena continued her slow walk, Kanan slamming blade after blade into the Void. As she neared, Erena paused only to appear directly in front of the bluenette.

"It's time for you to face reality, Second… Kanan. It's time to feel mortal again." With ease, Erena slid her blade through the girl's stomach. "Remember, now, the fear of death." She slowly withdrew the blade but was immediately sent flying back as Kanan slashed cleanly across her chest. But with First inside of her, the wound healed almost instantly.

"You… You…!" Kanan staggered in place. The wound sealed itself up but Kanan still grabbed at the spot as she twitched. "This feeling… You bastard! How…? How!?"

Erena let out a loud laugh before sheathing her sword and turning away from Kanan. She looked back over her shoulder just such that the bluenette could catch a glimpse of her eyes glowing red. "I just used First's authority and just a bit of his blood… to instill you with mortality. Not even the Void can save you now. Erena turned back towards the group and nodded at Honoka. "It's all on you, Four Seasons."

Kanan gritted her teeth and started a new, but useless, assault on the Master of Void. Every strike was either blocked by the Void or simply redirected with a quick strike of her own blade.

Honoka took a step forward, but a pain shot through her entire body. She resisted the urge to vomit, knowing it would all be blood from her elixir poisoning. How was she supposed to fight in that state? Even with the authority over Autumn, if she couldn't move…

"Hehe, in a bit of trouble, Honoka-chan?" Honoka blinked and saw amber eyes suddenly staring into her own. She jumped a bit but recoiled at the pain it caused her.

"K-Kotori-chan!?"

Another giggle from her friend but Kotori nodded. "There's a lot I would like to tell you… that I will tell you. But I don't think now is the time. I thought something like this might happen so…" Kotori fished around in her pocket. "Ah! Here we go." She produced a small glass vial with a red liquid inside.

Honoka observed the bottle skeptically. "Is that blood...?"

"Mm! The blood of yours truly!"

"Ehhh!? K-Kotori-chan, why…!?"

Kotori's face suddenly turned serious. "Normally, I would love to joke around with you, Honoka-chan, but this is serious. Despite how Void may look, I know she's on the verge of collapsing. She's probably even worse off than you right now. So, drink this. I may cause pestilence around the world, but my blood is the cure."

"Eh? I don't…"

"Oh come on, it works for other things too. Think of it like a cure-all! At least temporarily. You'll still need to get something done about your elixir poisoning later, but this will handle it for now." She looked down as if just noticing that Honoka was missing an arm. "Oh, oh. Don't worry, Honoka-chan." Kotori popped open the vial. "Open wide!" The idea of drinking Kotori's blood was amazingly unappealing. But Honoka glanced over to Void who was fending off Kanan's attacks. She noticed that with every attack, the girl cringed in pain. She sighed and opened her mouth. There really was no choice after all. "Ehehe, here it goes~" Kotori carefully poured the contents of the vial into her mouth.

To Honoka's surprise, it didn't taste bad. In fact, she would say it tasted really good. _Really_ good. She was sure that blood was something dangerous, something she could get addicted to if she had anymore of it. It went down with ease and she immediately felt cracks and pops in her joints. The nausea in her stomach vanished and her body felt lighter.

"Kotori-chan…"

"Delicious, huh?" Kotori giggled again and gave her best friend a pat on the back. "Go on, Honoka-chan. Defeat Second and save the world."

Honoka steeled herself, a new smile overflowing with confidence coming to her face. "Thank you, Kotori-chan." She took a few steps forward before pausing and without turning around, she spoke up. "Kotori-chan… no matter what you are, you're still my friend. One of my best friends. I'll always love you, no matter what."

"Hehe. That makes me really happy to hear! But I said we should save that for later." Kotori gave a fake pout, Honoka could hear it in her voice.

The ginger gave a light laugh before continuing on her way. Second finally stopped her assault on Void when she saw the girl approaching. Her chest heaved with each breath, but she still managed a dying smirk at the sight of the ginger. Honoka briefly stopped next to Erena and nudged her. "Thank you, Void… no, Erena-chan. I'll close this out so… get some rest, okay?"

"Ha… talking to your elder like that… Well, I was just thinking I could use a good rest." Even though she said that, she didn't move and Honoka figured it was because she couldn't. So the ginger just nodded and continued onwards towards Second.

"You've really done a lot on the world, Second, Kanan. You've hurt my friends pretty badly. And now you're threatening us with the end of the world. As a demon slayer, as the heir to Four Seasons… as Autumn, I can't allow that." Honoka pointed her Demonbrand at the girl. "It's over for you! For all you've done, I can't forgive you."

"Forgive… ahaha. Always playing the part of the fool I see, Kousaka Honoka. You were the hole in my plan, the Singularity that I should have killed when I got the chance back in the Void. I'm sure… I'm sure Autumn already knew by then. She must have laughed at me as I could only wonder about what the Singularity knew and didn't know. It's frustrating… so very frustrating." She smirked. "But here you are, in front of me now. Now I can finally lay you to rest. I'll deal with you without my authority over the Underworld." Kanan mirrored the ginger's pose, pointing her Demonbrand at her. "I am death, the taker of life. All are destined to meet me and yet not a soul will tell about me." A small purple orb appeared at the tip of her sword. "All who lay eyes upon me will fall. I am the incarnation of sacrifice, the lamb that turned away its eyes."

"That's… another ancient magic." Seira tried to stand, but it was useless. Her body was too spent. "Honoka!"

"Lay your eyes upon the reckoning! Devour her!" The purple orb expanded, much like the wave of energy she made with her Underworld authority. A wave of purple that disintegrated the ground underneath it. Just a touch of that and the ginger knew it would be over for her. But her confident smile never left her face.

_Master… Ryoma-san… Kotori-chan… Yoshiko… Chika… So many people have done their best to get me to this spot. And now… Now, just for once, I can show my everything. With the authority of Autumn, I'll lay waste to this Demon Lord. And then… I'll turn back to you all with a smile._

Honoka wanted to look back at her Master, to reassure her, but she didn't. She kept her eyes forward. If there was one way to reassure her Master, it was to take down the foe in front of her. "Four seasons, Autumn style, 5th blade, Tsukimi." With a single slash, the purple energy was blasted into nothing. In that place of Autumn, without the fear of cleaving the world in two, she felt free, free to use all of her blades, no matter what repercussions they may have had outside of that world.

"Impudent… Foolish Autumn! Void, release your constraints! Show them what it's like to gaze into nothing. Let peace finally be upon them at the end." Darkness gathered around her, seeping into her sword. "In the end, I am still a Master of Void! I'll not back down against the Four Seasons!" Kanan charged forward, a trail of darkness leaking behind her. "Void style, 1st blade." The darkness swirled around the blade, dripping from it, bursting out as she closed in.

But Honoka wasn't afraid. She was perfectly ready to meet that charge head on. A vague memory came to mind, from months ago. When she learned the Autumn blades, she remembered a joke from her Master. 'In the past, Autumn slew a god. That's why she named it after a goddess. Kind of ironic, I guess?' The comment was followed by laughter and Honoka had taken it as nothing more than a joke. But here, in this world of Autumn, she thought, just briefly, that maybe she would kill something akin to a god with it. With authority over Autumn, she just felt like it was the right blade to use. Though she had previously decided that its purpose was not to kill, but to make an opponent suffer, a blade that tore and ruptured, but didn't kill. But that was in the past. And maybe, she thought, in the overworld, it would do just that. But there, in that world that she created with her authority, she was sure it could get the job done.

"Four seasons, Autumn style, 4th blade."

Yeah. She definitely felt it at that moment. She felt alive. In the year of her training, she had always felt off. Was she really doing it just because she felt some kind of obligation towards Seira? Was she doing it purely because she wanted to have the power to protect her friends? No, she decided. Those were definitely parts of it, but she decided on something in that moment: Kousaka Honoka is selfish. Would she spend a year of her life training in order to protect her friends? Yes. But is that why she had done it in the past? No. As she felt the leaves rustling under her feet as she moved forward, she realized why she had spent so much time training, so much time fighting, why she had dedicated herself to her blades so intensely.

When she was a school idol with her friends, she felt alive. She felt great performing on stage, she felt like it was something she was meant to do. But not because of an obligation, just because it brought her such great joy. And she realized something while she was training. Using those blades, fighting a strong opponent, being covered in Autumn… it was the best feeling. Her heart raced with excitement at the very thought of using her Autumn blades. A smile spread on her face, even in that terrible situation, even when the very fate of the world was looming over her… she felt happy. She had spent that year training because those blades made her feel happy. After losing her purpose when she 'died,' she had felt like she lost everything. Seira had once told her that if she continued on that way she would be 'truly dead.' But it wasn't those words that perked up. Nor was it, as much as she loathed to admit it, reuniting with Hanayo. That definitely helped her and provided her comfort in a troubled time. But what helped her was training. At first, she thought it was pointless, she hated it. Hadn't she complained before that she hadn't chosen that path? Hadn't she cried out that didn't want it?

Honoka could almost laugh at herself. Why had she acted so stubborn about it? Maybe she was afraid to admit it, afraid to admit that, in the end, she was selfish. That selfishness is what drove her to want to reunite with her friends. It drove her to continue killing demons. It drove her to love Autumn, to love the Four Seasons. It was the reason she trained every day, not because Seira had pushed it on her before, but because she truly felt happy when swinging her Demonbrand.

_Mm. I'm selfish. I'm a terrible person who's only thinking about herself right now. So… let me continue living this way. I can't let you get in the way of it, Second. No matter what… I want to see where these blades, where the Four Seasons, where Autumn will take me. So I'm going to offer everything I have with this blade._

"Null."

Honoka met that blade by bringing her sword fully back before swinging it forward, bringing her whole body forward. She was happy. Kanan was putting her everything into a blade. There was no cheap trick, just another former demon slayer showing the culmination of her training. Honoka couldn't help but want to answer in kind.

"Sharada."

This was her territory, the place created by her authority as one chosen by Autumn. It reminded her of the false Autumn that Ryoma had shown her. Even then, she felt the distinct connection, but now she felt it more than ever. A deep connection, deeper than she believed she could possibly have with anybody else. She loved her Master and her friends. But it truly felt in that moment that her heart was connected with Autumn. Even after all that they had been through, she came out loving the style more than ever.

Her blade effortlessly sliced through the air, the leaves around her exploding into the air as her blade met Kanan's. They both grunted from the force, each trying to push their Demonbrand forward just one more inch. In that moment, in that collision of blades, Honoka saw it for just one moment. For just a few brief seconds, she knew she saw Matsuura Kanan. Not Second, not the Void, but the girl who had long ago taken the mantle of Master of Void. Instead of the scowl from before, she wore the same smile Honoka did, the smile any demon slayer who loved their blades couldn't help but wear in a fight against a strong opponent. Their eyes met and Honoka saw no trace of Second in them. The person that stared back at her was truly a master of her blades, a person who probably understood her. For some reason, she felt relieved at that fact. It felt like some of the guilt lifted from her shoulders, to know that there was someone just as selfish as her, just as dedicated to their blades, just as happy to fight.

But she refused to lose. This was a fair battle, a battle between two warriors who wanted nothing more than to prove themselves. Because it was a fair battle, Honoka knew she had to win. There was no trickery, nothing. She pushed her blade forward, driving the former Master of Void back a step. But the smile never wavered from Kanan's face. Not when she was pushed back, nor when her Demonbrand snapped, allowing Honoka's sword forward, the air of Autumn driving forward with it, tearing through Kanan's chest. It all happened in just a moment, but it felt like an eternity to the two girls. In that eternity, she saw it again. A genuine smile, kind, full of… something she couldn't quite identify.

Kanan's legs buckled under her and she fell to her knees. A small chuckle escaped her lips as she looked back up at the victor standing over her. A long sigh let her body deflate. "Truly… unfortunate." She met eyes with the ginger, eyes that flickered between red and violet. "No… I could not have asked for better. This world… what a creation." Kanan reached down and scooped up a handful of leaves. "The overworld was truly something magnificent, something that I, and perhaps all the other Demon Lords, envied. Sixth realized our mistake far too late, that we were never meant to stay there. But the damage had been done. After all, he had already taken such a liking to humans."

Honoka nodded slowly. "I want to ask… why? Not Second… Not the Void. But to you, Matsuura-san. Why betray the Void? Why join Second?"

Kanan took in a deep breath and looked towards the fractured sky. "Kanan… Second… I wonder if there is still a difference… ha. You know, I love the Void. More than anything. Maybe that's why. Even the Void could only catch glimpses of what lies far beyond this world… Maybe I thought I could show it. But even that was foolish. The Void never wants. I was the one who gave it desire when I chose to become a part of it. I suppose it was mistake on the Void's part as well. I disrupted the purity of the Void with human emotion. And then…" She paused, her eyes looking somewhere far off. "In the end, I ended up dragging Second down with me. But even now I know… that he holds no resentment towards me. If we didn't have to destroy the world, it would have been a win-win, wouldn't you say? Demons never have to bother humans again… and demons get a new world to call their own. I wonder where… I wonder when it went wrong. We lost that vision long ago… perhaps it was when I claimed the Heart of the Void. It became a fixation, something to use… Ha… well, look where all of this mess ended up."

"Matsuura-san…"

With more than a bit of a struggle, Kanan stood once again and observed the broken sword in her hand. "Is it sad… that I can no longer tell if this sword is even my heart? Where did it come from? Ah…" Both darkness and blood poured from the wound on her chest and Kanan couldn't help but laugh. "I must look terrible right now." With the massive wound and the blood dripping from her mouth, Honoka couldn't deny it. Kanan looked at the sword one more time with a melancholic smile. She let go, the sword vanishing as it fell. "Will you allow me another bout, Kousaka Honoka?"

Honoka couldn't hide her smile at the question. "Doesn't the victor get to ask the questions?"

"Ahaha… perhaps. But I don't think I have enough time to fulfill your requests." Honoka conceded that and took a step back, readying her sword once again. Kanan nodded and held out her hand. "Won't you show me… my heart just one more time?" A small light appeared in her palm and she let out something between a laugh a sigh of relief. She grabbed that light, letting it materialize into a katana. A long, clean blade. Two small bells hung from the kashira, ringing sweetly in the soft Autumn wind. "I, Matsuura Kanan, hereby relinquish my authority of the Void." She held up her other hand, the small black orb from before in the centre of it. The orb lifted into the air before shattering, darkness swirling around before simply dissipating. "So, Void… won't you, of your own accord, allow me one more just one more bout?"

Erena blinked in surprise when a tendril of darkness reached out from her, slowly, lazily moving through the air until it reached the bluenette, wrapping around her sword, sinking into it. "Well now…" Erena smirked at the sight but just nodded.

"Thank you…" Kanan brought the sword up, the bells ringing quietly. Honoka took a moment to take in the girl. The stance, the sword, the confident smile on her face, leaves falling all around her. It was a beautiful scene, one Honoka wished she could take a picture of to remember forever. Was this truly the girl who had almost ended the world just minutes before? "Then, I don't have much time… so let's make it quick."

"Mm. I'm ready, Kanan."

Kanan laughed at the use of her given name. "Then, in that case… Please allow me to begin."

"Mm. I'm waiting."

If she was being honest, Honoka was happy that Kanan had asked for this last bout. It was already over. Both of them knew that. But why would that stop the two from delivering their last strikes? Honoka was happy, happy that Kanan had acted selfishly as well, that despite everything, she wished for another bout. It kept the smile firmly planted on her face as the two moved towards each other.

Honoka swung in from above, but it was easily deflected by Kanan who quickly drove her sword in at the ginger's stomach. A twist around the blade and the ginger was already in position to strike again, carrying her sword through the turn, aimed to take Kanan's head. Kanan brought her sword up, slamming Honoka's Demonbrand high up but the ginger maintained her grasp and brought it down. With little effort, the bluenette sidestepped it, bringing her sword in a low sweep that came up towards the ginger's stomach. Honoka twisted her sword back in and, with a small flick of her wrist, struck forward, batting the bluenette's katana back towards her.

The two simultaneously took a step back, smiles on both of their faces. But Honoka could tell. There was no reason to continue the fight. Kanan was already dying. The ginger would be surprised if she could even make one more strike. But the look in the bluenette's eyes told her she could. So Honoka would make that strike the last one. And Kanan seemed to have the same thought.

"Let me tell you everything… Kousaka Honoka."

"Mm. I'll answer in kind, Kanan… with my everything."

"Void style, 10th blade."

"Four seasons, Autumn style, 1st blade."

"Forgotten whisper."

"Fall."

It wasn't nearly as flashy as tearing through a sword, but it had the same effect. Kanan's katana flew from her grasp, flying far behind her. But Honoka didn't follow up. She stopped her blade right before it struck the girl. With that, Honoka felt like it was concluded. She drew her sword back, sheathed it and, just like when she dueled her Master in the past, bowed. It felt strange doing that since it had been so long, but when she finally raised her head, she saw that Kanan had bowed as well. The bluenette came up with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Eh? Kanan, you…" Darkness trailed off her body, a body that had become transparent.

"It would seem like the Void is calling me back."

"The Void? But you…"

"Don't misunderstand me, Honoka. I will no longer be a part of the Void. It is time for me to face my punishment for my betrayal though. Where safer to keep such a dangerous person such as myself than in the depths of the Void?" She looked past the ginger, her eyes falling on Erena, then Yoshiko, then back to Honoka. "Thank you. And even after all we've been through… that goes for you as well, Second. Ah, how long has it been since I stopped hearing your voice? Were you truly lost within me? And yet all this time I've acted as you and used your Demonbrand… I hope I can you see again sometime, Second. You truly made this fragment's time interesting." Darkness exploded out from her back, the image of Kanan fading quickly. "A gift for you, Honoka. As my thanks. You decide what to do with them." With that, the image of Kanan vanished.

Honoka blinked, almost just to make sure that the girl really was gone. She definitely was. But in her place sat a small red ball. It Honoka reached down and picked it up, turning it over, rubbing her thumb over the smooth surface. "A gift… huh?" Honoka turned back to the others with a smile. But there were still some loose ends. Erena fell to her knees as soon as the ginger turned, making Yoshiko run up to her.

"Master! Master, you…"

"Haha, don't cry now, Yoshiko. This is the price I pay for allowing First to do his job. Manifesting his body… was the last thing he could do. And, because of the, my last action as well." Darkness sprouted up around her, tendrils trailing from her much like Kanan.

"You're going to die… Master?"

Erena chuckled and reached up, gently stroking the girl's hair. "Ah, my precious Yoshiko. I truly could not have asked for a better heir." Tears welled up in Yoshiko's eyes, streaking down her cheeks. "What did I just say, you crybaby?"

"Master, I…! You too! I never would have come to love the blade, to love the Void if it hadn't been you!"

"Pfft… ahaha!" Erena suddenly burst out laughing, raising the eyebrows of everybody present. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I couldn't help but want to see you really let your emotions out one time. Why do you cry, Yoshiko? I will take Kanan's place, as a lasting Master of Void, to pass my knowledge onto all heirs henceforth. So cry not. Anytime you wish to see me, you need only commune with the Void."

"M-Master!" Yoshiko yelled, her face now flushed from anger and embarrassment.

"Haha! Good work, Yoshiko, Honoka! Truly you have lived up to statuses! I bid you a good till next time, for this is not my end, nor yours. Let us meet again soon! Come, First! Let us enjoy our time in the Void together!" Erena's laughter faded with her body until nothing was left.

Yoshiko stood up with a snort. "That idiot…"

Honoka nodded in sympathy but her smile when she turned her eyes to Seira who was attempting to stand. "Master!" She ran up and helped the girl stand. "Are you alright? You lost so much blood…"

"Hmph. Please, Honoka. That was my one time… That being said, my insides are definitely dying. I'll need to get an elixir or two from HQ. I should be fine. Well… other than the fact that I'll never be able to use ancient magic again without dying. A small price to pay though." She winked at her heir and Honoka smiled in relief.

"Now then." Yoshiko walked up next to them. "There is still the issue of… _that_ to deal with." She motioned at the wave of energy, still frozen in time.

"Leave it to me!" Kotori cheered and jumped forward. "Though there was no way I could have blocked it if it wasn't frozen like this… For all your hard work, Honoka-chan, I'll do all of you a favour!" Kotori snapped her fingers, a small light appearing in the air before her. "Come… to my little prison." The light expanded, flashing brightly, causing everybody to look away. When it faded, Kotori held a small sphere of light in her hand. "This'll be quite dangerous if anybody get their hands on it… So~ Here." She shoved it towards Yoshiko who just blinked. "Toss it in the Void. It'll be safe there."

"The Void is not your trashcan."

"Neither is your body, but I don't mind dumping my pathogens into your body and causing you to puke blood until you die." The smile and cute giggle that followed sent a chill down everybody's spine.

Yoshiko sighed and roughly grabbed the orb from her. "If you please…" Small tendrils of darkness expanded from her hand, wrapping around the orb and promptly vanishing with it. "There. It shouldn't cause any trouble anymore." They all nodded at that. "Well then, Four Seasons. Let us leave this place. I noticed that Sun and Light are not here. I'd like to check on them. We have to make sure everything is fixed on that side anyways."

Honoka nodded but her smile turned into a frown. "I'll send all of you back, so just give me a moment."

"Eh?" All eyes locked onto her.

"What are you talking about, Honoka…?"

"I'm sorry, Master. Maybe it's just me being a coward but… I'm sure if I give up Autumn's authority, my body will collapse. If I stay here though, in a world made with Autumn's authority, I'm sure it'll be fine. Really makes me seem like a coward, huh?"

Seira started to speak up but Honoka's eyes suddenly widened. The ginger was staring at something past her, but when the Master of the Four Seasons turned, she saw nothing. "Honoka?"

"Ryoma-san…?" Seira's eyes widened at the question and she looked again but still saw nothing.

But Honoka saw it. Saw him. The scarf around her vibrated, lifting into the air slightly, the tinge of magic stronger than ever. And there in front of her stood the man she had dueled with in the past. "Congratulations, Honoka-kun. I'm glad you were able to become so close with Autumn. You've truly shown your talent, your dedication. I'm proud of you."

Honoka broke into a wide grin at the compliment. "Thank you. But… it looks like this is the end of the line. Really, thank you, for helping me. IF you hadn't… I wouldn't be here right now. I wouldn't have had the courage to use Autumn against her."

Ryoma waved off the thanks. "You were always meant to use Autumn and so you did. I simply reminded you of it. Now, what's this about the end of the line?"

"You can see it, right? My body is already in terrible condition. To be frank, I'm in so much pain I can barely stand. Once Autumn's authority leaves me… I'll definitely collapse. You think it's cowardly, right? That I want to stay here. That I want to live so badly."

"Ahaha!" Ryoma took the few steps forward to stand next to her, his hand landing gently on her shoulder. "I will not tell you what to do, Honoka-kun. However… He reached up and tugged the scarf down, making sure it was securely around her. I believe I said before that I would do a favour for you… that I would help you with your friends."

"Eh? Yeah, but that's…"

"I never said quite exactly what I would help with, did I?" He laughed again at the incredulous look she gave him. "You'll be in pretty bad shape… but I'll do my best for you. You no longer have a need for Autumn's authority. And you no longer need to be in this world of Autumn. So… go. You still have much to settle, much to do in life. Hell, if this old man has to tell you that your life is just beginning, then you should believe him!"

Honoka giggled at that but nodded. "Ah, but… Um, I'm sure Master would love to see you again."

A sad smile formed on his face and he nodded slowly. "And I would love to speak with Seira again." He looked to in front of the ginger where Seira seemed to be calling out to her. But she couldn't hear her Master's words in that moment. "She's doing fine. Maybe overexerting herself, but that's nothing new. Haha!" Ryoma took a deep and let it out slowly. "Take care of my dear heir, Honoka-kun. And take care of yourself."

"Mm. Thank you, Ryoma-san." And then everything around her felt normal again. Seira was yelling to her to answer her and she could only laugh as her Master inquired about what was wrong. "Come on, Master. It's gonna be a long story, so let's get out of here first."

Without waiting for a response, Honoka let the world around them fall apart, dragging them back to the Underworld. Ruby looked panicked as the group appeared again but then relieved when she realized it was just them. She ran up to hug Yoshiko, mumbling something into her chest about thinking she had died. Chika wore a knowing smirk and Honoka had the feeling that the girl had somehow seen everything that happened.

"As much as I'd love to hear the story of your final battle," Chika called out. "we need to do something about that." She pointed towards the sky. Even though Honoka had stopped Second, the sky remained cracked and, from the look on Chika's face, she was just barely keeping it together.

Honoka suddenly snapped to attention. She turned towards Hanayo who still lay where she left her. She sighed in relief as if she had expected something terrible to have happened to her. But when she tried to move towards her, she finally felt the pain settle back in. She fell to one knee, cringing at the flames in her stomach, in her legs, arm, everywhere. She felt the scarf around her neck vibrate with magic, the pain intensifying tenfold. It was nothing short of a miracle that she didn't pass out right then and there. "Wha…?" And then it was over just as fast as it started. The scarf basically unwrapped itself, falling to the ground in front of her. "Eh? This is…?"

"Honoka!" Seira staggered her way over to her heir but by the time she got there Honoka was laughing. "Honoka?"

"Your Master… was really something." Honoka smiled down at the cloth. Just two words looked back at her, stitched into the cloth, words that she was absolutely sure hadn't been there before. 'Good luck.' "Really… That idiot stole Autumn's authority from me…"

As she stood with Seira's help, she couldn't help but wonder just how much of this Ryoma had known would happen. He had glanced into the future through the Void, right? Had he planned everything out perfectly? He had even accounted for her not being able to handle Autumn's authority. And just how the hell had he even taken it? Honoka jotted that down as something to ask Autumn in the future, assuming she would be able to communicate with the season again.

"My, my, don't you all seem to be in some trouble?" All conversation ceased immediately as all eyes were drawn to the newcomer.

A man wearing a suit. Honoka's eyes opened wide. She definitely recognized him. From not that long ago, around the time when Umi had found out about her being a demon slayer. "You're…!"

"Aha, we meet again, Four Seasons. Worry not. I apologize for injuring you before. It was just a little test! Haha! You were attacking me anyways, right?" He shrugged. "Oh, I almost forgot I was in this form. Sorry, let me greet you properly." The body seemed to simply vanish, leaving behind a much smaller girl wearing a school uniform, with grey-brown, a grin plastered on her face. "Congratulations! You really killed Second! Ahaha! Yay! Cheer, cheer!"

Chika frowned. "Third?"

"That's right! I'm Third! The cutest of the Demon Lords! Well, I have the cutest host anyways. If I don't say that, she gets so angry at me…"

"Sorry to say, but I don't exactly have the energy to fight another one of you…" Honoka said, sighing.

"Ahaha! I'm here to help you guys, not to hurt you!" She walked over to Honoka and held her hand out. When the ginger reached to take it, the girl withdrew it, pouting. "I'm not helping you. Give me Second's eyes. Hurry, hurry."

"Eh? His eyes? I…" Honoka started to say but then stopped. Was that… his gift? She withdrew the red orb from her pocket and Third snatched it from her.

"Good, good. I need to borrow Fourth's eyes as well." She walked over towards Hanayo and Honoka almost lunged at her, but Yoshiko stepped in front of her.

"Yoshiko-chan?"

"I was wondering when you were going to show up, Third." She looked around at the confused looks she was receiving and just laughed. "The Void already knew what you were up to. You're the weakest of… well, you're the only surviving Demon Lord now, so I suppose that's a given. But I knew you were waiting. We had planned on killing you but the Void changed its mind when it decided to direct its attention towards Second. Consider yourself lucky, Third, that I will not strike you down right here."

"Oh yes, I feel sooooo lucky. Give the Void my thanks~" Third walked up to Hanayo and snapped. Hanayo's eyes immediately opened but it didn't take a genius to find out that she was clearly still unconscious. "Take my offering, Fourth, that I may lock away your eyes." She crushed the orb in her hand and let the dust sprinkle down over Hanayo's face. The effect was immediate. The cracks in the sky instantly began closing up and she nodded, looking over to Chika. "You can stop now, Sun. It'll be fine. And you, Four Seasons. Your partner will no longer be able to see demons. I'm sorry! Teehee! But I had to seal away Fourth's eyes. And this is the only way to do it without completely removing the eyes which would be dangerous." Honoka nodded slowly, not really sure how to take this whole situation.

Chika, on the other hand, sighed in relief. The effect of her stopping the Sun from leaking out her body was immediate. The ground around her cooled instantly and she began crawling towards them. Yoshiko snorted and walked over to her Without a word, she reached down, scooping up the ginger in a bridal carry.

"Oh! So bold, Void-chan~"

"Shut it, Sun…" Yoshiko looked away, her own face flushed.

"Eh…?" Honoka's attention snapped back to the brunette in front of her who was finally waking up. "Where…?"

"Hanayo-chan!" Honoka embraced her partner, practically crying into her. "I was so worried! I'm so glad you're alright!"

"H-Honoka-chan?" Hanayo had next to no idea what was going on, but a smile still graced her face and she returned the embrace.

Third coughing finally made the two separate. "I hate to break up such a beautiful moment, but I do believe it is time for you to be on your way."

Seira crossed her arms. "And why should we leave something like you alive? You're… the last living Demon Lord after all."

"Right! But you need a Demon Lord alive, someone to manage this Underworld. Don't worry, I messed a bit with the barrier with Fourth's eyes. I might not be able to stop every demon from coming through, but I'll do what I can. I'll stay in my world and you guys stay in yours. Sounds good, right? Without me, demons will flood into the overworld. Plus, I just helped you, didn't I?" She puffed her cheeks out into a pout again that everybody had to admit was pretty cute. "Second left behind the essence of Eighth, so… this is the last thing I can do for you." Third snapped her fingers once again, the black liquid that they had seen before pouring from her hand, forming a sizeable puddle on the ground. "This'll bring you exactly where you need to be. Now shoo, all of you."

Chika burst into laughter. "Ahaha! Sounds good to me! Full speed ahead, Void-chan!" Yoshiko snorted but smiled.

"Well, it makes sense enough to leave you to manage the Underworld, Third. And luckily, the Void doesn't want you dead anymore." Yoshiko stepped up to the liquid, Chika still held securely in her arms. "You're even weaker than Fourth when my Master and I killed him. The second you try anything stupid down here, I won't hesitate to silence you."

"Scary~"

Yoshiko turned her head away but walked into the liquid, letting herself sink down until both she and Chika were gone. Ruby and Seira were next, the older girl holding the redhead's hand. "Thank you I suppose, Third.

"Yeah, yeah. Get moving." After those two sank down, she locked her eyes on the last three there. "You two. In." Both Honoka and Hanayo moved to stand on the liquid. But only Hanayo sank.

"E-Eh? Honoka-chan!?" Before she could ask anymore, she vanished under the black liquid.

"Third? What are you…?"

"Yeah, yeah, shut it. I'll let you go in a second." There was a pause until Honoka nodded. "Thank you, Four Seasons. We were not powerful enough to stop Second after he became corrupted. It wasn't his fault. It was likely a result of his mind fusing with Matsuura Kanan and the Void. Either way, I'm glad he's finally able to rest. So, even if you just did it for yourself… thank you."

"Third…"

"Oh, quiet. Don't start."

Kotori walked up to the two with a smirk. "Ahem, don't get too sappy while I'm here."

"It's been quite a while since I've seen you, Pestilence." Third paused, sizing her up. "Are you going to return to the surface with them? I have no obligation to make you stay here… well, not that I could with my power anyways."

"Mm." Kotori nodded and giggled wrapping Honoka's arm with hers. "I want to spend my time with Honoka-chan, Umi-chan, and the others. So… I won't be staying here."

"Well, if that's what you want…"

Kotori gave the girl a sympathetic smile. "Are you going to be alright down here? You'll be all alone now, right?"

Third snorted at the concern. "It's not like we Demon Lords were having tea parties every day, Pestilence. I am more than fine on my own. Besides, I have my host to keep me company. Unlike Second, we are still individuals. Though, perhaps I have taken too much a liking to her voice as it has become my default." She placed a hand on her throat and sighed.

"Eh? You're going to keep your host down here?" Honoka asked suspiciously.

"Worry not, Four Seasons. My host has chosen to remain with me. When I decided to go against Second, I told her that, if she so chose, I would return her to the overworld. But she told me that she'll remain with me." The tone of voice shifted just ever so slightly and Third tilted her head. "That's right~. So, everything's fine. Enjoy your time on the surface, Pestilence."

Kotori nodded. "I go by Kotori now though~"

They both shared a laugh at that before Third motioned to the liquid. "Alright, it's time for you two to go. I'm barely able to keep this open with the remnants of Eighth that Second left behind. If you don't leave soon, you might just get trapped here with me. Not that I would mind! Ahaha."

Kotori nodded again and pulled the ginger with her onto the black liquid. "Um… I don't know if I should say something…" Honoka said slowly. "I guess… thank you? For helping us keep our world together."

"Mm. thanks a lot, Third-chan!"

"Yeah, yeah. Get going already. I said my piece." She waved her hand and the two sank, deep into the black puddle before vanishing. Third let out a long sigh before letting the liquid finally fade away. "That was a lot more exhausting then I thought it would be… Hmph. Finally here, Shizuku-san?" A small light appeared above her, falling slowly into her hand. She couldn't help but smile at the light. "A soul manifesting itself in the Underworld… You always were an interesting one. Well, despite what I said, it might get a little lonely with just Third and I. Haha." Third turned away from the torn-up landscape, heading deeper into the Underworld. "Come on, let's see about getting you a proper body."

* * *

Light assaulted Honoka's eyes immediately after exiting the darkness. But this time… it was the real sun. She smiled as she felt the warmth. It had been too long. But where…? She turned to her side and saw a familiar sight. Maki's mansion of a house. All of the girls who had accompanied her to the Underworld were all there, standing in front of the house now. All except for Kotori, who still clung to her arm with a smile. Walking out of the mansion was Maki who was helping her mother walk, Umi who was helping a staggering Devour, and Nico who was helping Chika's partner.

Honoka found herself smiling at the sight. At this point, she wasn't even surprised to see the bluenette among them. As she approached them with Kotori, she saw Yoshiko move one of her hands awkwardly before a mass of darkness opened in front of her. Even though they were in Maki's yard, they were still fairly in the open. It seemed like Yoshiko didn't notice or didn't care though. The Master of Sound exited first, holding up her heir who looked completely worn. And lastly, Nozomi followed out, her face contorting to worry when she turned and met eyes with Honoka. She ran over, embracing the two girls.

"Honoka! I was so worried after what the Void showed me…" Honoka couldn't exactly return the hug since her only arm was occupied with Kotori but she nodded into it.

"Ehe… Well, it all turned out fine. It looks like you had some interesting stuff happen to you too."

Nozomi pulled away and sighed but she wore a smile. "You have no idea."

"Yes, everything is fine." Yoshiko said as the rest of the group walked over to them. "We are lucky that Second had basically lost his mind. After losing his true body, he unknowingly made Matsuura Kanan into his true body. Because of that, he became permanently connected to his host in the overworld. Foolish. It was because of his own madness that we were able to defeat him." Yoshiko paused and shifted the ginger in her arms. Chika leaned in and whispered something. "Yeah, yeah." She walked closer to Honoka and lowered her voice. "Now is the time, Four Seasons. I apologize… for that." She nodded at the girl's lack of a right arm. "I was foolish. The Void… no, Kanan showed me visions of what would happen if I failed to do so, false visions. I put so much trust in the Void, I did not even realize how it had become corrupted by Kanan. Because of that I ended up injuring you. I'm truly sorry."

Honoka stared for a second before giggling. "It's alright, Yoshiko-chan. Besides, I got you back, right?"

Yoshiko reached a hand to her stomach. "This was but a temporary injury, what I have done to you is…"

"I told you, don't worry about it. In the end, I wouldn't have lasted long enough against Second by myself. Because of you and Chika-chan, I was able to fight. So, look up, Yoshiko-chan. You just helped save the world after all."

Chika laughed her usual loud, boisterous laugh. "That's right! There's nothing to worry about! We're all friends here!"

Umi was the next to walk up to Honoka, an awkward smile on her face, but a truly relieved one. "I'm glad to see you're alright, Honoka. And…" She looked at Kotori who just giggled.

"Looks like we all have a lot to talk about, huh, Umi-chan~? Honoka-chan~?"

"It looks like it."

"**Indeed we do, Kousaka Honoka.**" The voice sent a strange shiver down Honoka's spine and she could almost feel the Four Seasons bristling within her.

"Is that… Sixth?"

"It is." Umi nodded. "Like Kotori said… a lot to talk about."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's save all that talk for later." Nico said, walking over and patting Devour on the back who cringed at the touch. "I think we have too many injured people around to just talk. Let's get everything sorted out before we talk things out." She glanced over to Maki's mother. "I'm sure HQ is gonna have a hell of a time with this…"

Yoshiko snorted. "Who cares? Let those lazy whelps handle all the paperwork. I'm sure they'll be happy to hear the news anyways."

"As much… as I'd like to celebrate with you…" Setsuna took deep breaths and looked up. "I may quite literally be dying. I'd appreciate it if we could move on."

They all laughed but conceded that. As the group headed our from Maki's yard, the redhead's mother leading the way, Honoka couldn't help but feel herself smiling again. Kotori still occupied her one arm. Umi walked on her other side, still helping Setsuna along. Nico was talking about 'how amazing she was' when she was fighting Second. Maki was waving off her words but had a faint smile. Chika was still being carried by Yoshiko, cheering her on as they walked. Yoshiko turned her head away the comments, but Honoka could see her smile. Mari still helped her heir along but her other hand was intertwined with Seira's, the two recalling the events from each of their sides. Nozomi was off near the front talking with Maki's mother about something. Ruby clung to the back of Yoshiko's shirt as she walked, Riko next to her, trying to comfort the poor girl.

Honoka laughed and all eyes turned to her. "Really… Thank you, everyone. Let's really move forward!" She started rushing forward to the front of the group, dragging Kotori along. Umi was gong to chase after, but Setsuna suddenly perked up and, despite grunts of pain, moved after the ginger, tugging the bluenette along.

"Damn right, Four Seasons! Let's go!"

Honoka glanced back at the group as she passed Maki's mother.

"Mm! Onwards, to our new future!"

* * *

**Well, besides the epilogue, this is it. Thank you all for sticking through my shitty writing and making it this far. I really do appreciate it. I'll save my long, sappy thanks for the end of the epilogue though.**

**So, why you're all reading this I assume. Let me say some things before we get into the lore stuff. I'm not a person who likes writing big flashy fights. Maybe that's why the fic ended the way it did. Actually, let's get into lore because it'll be easier to explain some reasoning.**

**First of all, Second was truly mad by this point. After fusing with the Void, he lost his mind, both his and Kanan's minds virtually falling apart. Kanan got her moment of clarity towards the end, a moment when she was able to see her own heart and truly be 'Kanan' again. Because of this madness, Second truly thought that the time of the Demon Lords was still around. But, in reality, something I tried to hint at with the death of Fourth, Third was actually pretty weak by this point. The only reason Third was even able to fight to begin with was because he had fused with the Void. But by the point, the Void was beginning to wrestle control back after having its heart stolen. That, coupled with Honoka reclaiming authority over Autumn, it was simple enough.**

**Second, let's talk about power. At full power, the strongest character in this universe is, easily, Chika. Despite her extreme intelligence, Chika is still reckless and almost never uses her full power. In fact, releasing the Sun and fighting Kane was the first time she had ever truly gone 'all out.' If she didn't have to hold the world together, she could have easily taken on Third by herself. In fact, Chika could, arguably perhaps, fairly taken on First in his prime if she went all out from the beginning. She even outpowers her master who didn't make an appearance in this fic but was renowned for his strength.**

**I guess that's all I really wanted to cover. Just wanted to throw those things out there. There was more conversation I wanted to happen in this chapter but, whether it be a good or bad thing, I decided to cut back in order to shorten the length. I'm still satisfied with this fic overall. I honestly never thought I would finish it. So, now that the epilogue is the only thing left, it's like reality is finally setting in.**

**If you have any questions about this universe or maybe a character, feel free to message me about it. Otherwise, I simply hope that you enjoyed reading this.**

**I hope this fic finds you in good health. Stay safe in these trying times, everyone. And once again, a sincere thank you.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


	47. Epilogue

**Well, this is really the end. Thank you all so much for sticking through this fic with me. I never expected to actually finish it, so I'm really happy. I know my writing isn't the best, especially in this fic, but I'm glad you guys stuck through it anyways. I can't thank you enough.**

**I really enjoyed building this world and, honestly, I think I could make an amazing story in this world if I just started over, but I won't. This is the closing chapter on this world. I won't make this too long because... well, there isn't much to say. Thank you and this is the end.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**6 months later**

"Honoka-chan! Wake up, we're going to be late!" A loud voice and a sudden shaking snapped Honoka out of her peaceful sleep and she groggily sat up, rubbing at her eyes. "Don't you remember what today is?" It was Hanayo who had apparently woken up quite a bit earlier than she had as it looked like she had already taken a shower and gotten ready.

"Um… Saturday?"

"Yes! But we're supposed to meet up with the others at Maki-chan's today!"

The ginger snapped fully awake at that. "Ah! I forgot!" She scrambled out of bed, falling and faceplanting before running up to their shared closet and grabbing her nicest pair of clothes. That only consisted of a long-sleeve white black shirt and a grey skirt. It was good enough she figured. At least it wasn't a t-shirt with some dumb design like she usually wore. Hanayo was waiting for her by the time she brushed her teeth, brushed her hair and pulled some shoes on. "Alright! Let's go!"

They discussed some of the important things they probably needed to discuss with the others. After coming back from the Underworld, they had been so busy with HQ questioning them and basically placing them under house arrest until they were able to determine the situation completely. Third had kept her promise at least. There had been less demon sightings all over the world in the last six months, but they still appeared. For that reason, Honoka wasn't released from her duties as a demon slayer. The world was far from being perfectly safe and, really, it wasn't likely that they would ever completely eradicate the threat. But, for now, a decrease in demon attacks was fine.

Despite not being able to see demons anymore, Hanayo still stayed with Honoka in their apartment. After all, she already knew about demons and stuff, so it only made sense. They weren't just going to kill her like in some bad movie. Honoka had yet to be assigned another partner but she was hoping that she wouldn't need to. She had been meeting with Yoshiko in private to see if she had the potential to train her own eyes to see demons. Yoshiko, at the least, said she had potential and agreed to help her.

After a long talk with between her, her Master, and Sixth (and Umi), they had somewhat reconciled. Sixth admitted to his mistakes in the past but everything he had done in recent times had been to protect Honoka and Seira who he felt responsible for. As for why he even made Seira a demon slayer in the first place… that's something the ginger didn't feel the need to sit in on. Just like she had her business, she was sure there were things her Master would rather talk about in private.

Nozomi and Yoshiko had grown rather close due to their shared connection with the Void. At first Yoshiko had seemed hesitant about 'accepting the Oracle into the line of Void,' but she had gotten over pretty quickly, with more than a little help from Chika. Speaking of Chika, Honoka hadn't heard too much about what exactly she was up to nowadays except a little through Riko. But to her knowledge, Chika had moved in with Yoshiko so that must mean something was going right for the two of them.

Sixth still remained within Umi, but for how long, nobody really knows. He assured the bluenette that, if she ever tired of him, he would be able to leave her body without harming her. Umi had laughed at the idea and equated the Demon Lord to something of a brother. Sure, he could be annoying sometimes, but she felt a connection with him after sharing the same body for a while. Since the ginger had pretty much worked out her issues with Sixth, she refused to put her two cents in when asked. If Umi was fine with him staying then she saw no reason to object.

The most stressful event that had happened since was when the nine of them in their former idol group met to discuss things fully. It had been an emotional mess. Nico had shrugged off the fact that she hid that she was the Prince of Blades, but she obviously had felt at least a little bad for it. Nozomi had to try to explain her current situation which made Eli all the more worried that she was going to get dragged into some dangerous situation again. Apparently, she had been a nervous wreck when Nozomi explained the whole 'reviving the First Demon Lord' thing. And everybody besides Honoka and Hanayo were worried about a Demon Lord living in Umi's body. But the biggest issue had been Kotori. She had started off in her usual cheerful way, trying to shrug off the fact that she was a demon who had lived thousands of years and killed who knows how many humans in the past. Her emotional state had gone south really quick though at the realization that she might have lost everything she had worked towards with their friendships. Honoka had been the first to step forward and assure her that they were still friends. And well, given all the crazy stuff that had happened, it wasn't hard for everybody to follow the flow and accept her as well.

To say the least, she had been quite busy the past six months.

Oh, and she really didn't want to get started on Seira and Mari. Let's just say that… the one day she had gotten a pass to go see her Master, she had walked in on something she would never be able to erase from her mind.

Their conversation came to a halt as they arrived at the front gate to Maki's mansion. They buzzed the gate and waited as the redhead told them she would come get them. But as they waited, they heard a familiar energetic voice.

"Hey, Honoka-chan! Hanayo-chan!" It was hard to miss the ginger who waving erratically from her wheelchair, a wheelchair being pushed by Yoshiko who gave a slight nod of her own as they arrived.

"Chika-chan! Yoshiko-chan! Ah, that's good. I thought we were gonna be late."

"It's good to see you again, Four―" Chika reached a hand over the wheelchair and poked her cheek, making the girl pause mid-sentence. "Honoka. Hanayo." A sly look and whistle from Honoka made Void groan. "Don't say a single thing."

"And don't worry, Honoka-chan! You're just in time! You know, we were almost late because Yoshiko insisted that morning s―" Yoshiko firmly planted a hand over Sun's mouth and leaned down, whispering something in her ear. When she removed her hand, Chika gulped and nodded. "Well, it's nice to see you all again anyways! Ahaha!" Chika definitely recovered quickly.

"Sorry for the wait!" Maki ran up, a big smile on her face at the sight of her friends. Honoka couldn't blame her for not even attempting her tsundere act. How was she supposed to when the group hadn't been together in what felt like forever?

"Maki-chan!" Honoka embraced her as soon as the door opened. Only having one arm didn't stop her hug from reaching bone-crushing levels of affection.

"Yeah, yeah, calm down, Honoka." She gently pushed the ginger off and smiled at the rest of the group. "Come on in, a few people are here already."

Maki led them through the grounds and into the mansion that Honoka could never get tired of seeing. The damage that had been done by Setsuna had been repaired. As they walked into the large living area, she immediately saw Nico waving at her. "Yo, you guys. Been a while, huh?"

"Nico-chan!" The two ran up to her just as the buzzer sounded again and Maki left the room. "Too long! It's been way too long!"

Nico laughed and returned the hug. "You two look like you're doing just fine. I was a little worried about how everything was gonna turn out with you girls after that whole Second fiasco but looks like everything's alright. Your body alright, Honoka?"

"Mm! I still get waves of nausea and some other side effects sometimes, but as long as I steer clear of elixir, I should be fine in the next six months… to two years. Maybe longer. Well, they said definitely no longer than five years ahaha…"

Nico sighed. "Well, at least you probably won't have to do as much demon slaying in the meantime assuming Third keeps his promise. So―" She froze mid-sentence, her eyes looking past the four girls, a look somewhere between horror and annoyance on her face. Chika tilted her head and turned to see who was there.

"Oh, Riko-chan!"

"Chika!" The redhead ran up to her and leaned down to give her partner a hug. "I'm so glad to see you again. And you look like you're doing just fine as well, Yoshiko."

Yoshiko shrugged. "I am. It's good to see you again as well, Riko."

Riko moved up to Honoka and Hanayo. "It's great to see you two as well. I was worried how you would be fairing, Honoka, but it looks like you're doing just fine. That's a big relief."

"Ehehe, thanks for worrying, Riko-chan. It's really no big deal. What's a missing arm and little bit of elixir poisoning anyways."

Riko giggled at that but looked past her, a smirk coming to her lips. "Nico! I didn't see you!" The redhead ran up to her, one of Nico's arms in both of her own. "I missed you so much! We're still good for next Saturday, right?"

Nico's first reaction was to flinch at the sudden contact then send out a silent 'help' that seemed to pass over the heads of everybody else who were too busy staring at the event unfold. Nico gave up with a sigh. "Hey, Riko. Yeah, we're still on, so can you stop cling―"

"Great! I'm looking forward to it!" Riko smiled brightly.

"Um…" Honoka tilted her head, unsure what to make of the situation.

"Riko-chan, you're going on a date with Prince-chan!?" Chika spelled out her confusion pretty well for her.

Nico glared at Sun. "We're not―!"

"That's right!" Riko replied happily. "She even shoved me against the wall…"

"I tripped!" Nico sighed. "I only agreed to go on _one_ date since she wouldn't stop bothering me after that. All that, 'You were so great out there, Nico!' and stuff. I appreciate the praise but, please. So, no, we're _not_ going out. This girl just gets the wrong idea over the dumbest things." Nico pointedly looked away from the redhead, a slight pink tint to her cheeks. "Anyways―!"

She started but was cut off by another voice. "Well, you all are lively still." Setsuna gave a small smirk as she entered the room.

"Devour-chan!" Chika called out. "You already recovered from your injuries?"

"I have. Mostly, at least." She eyed the girl for a second, her gaze drifting down to her legs. "Your legs are still cursed, Sun? Can you not use that blade of the Void to help her?"

"Unless she's fine with losing both legs, no. Lethe is not a blade made to remove curses from people. Even if she does manage to keep her legs, who knows what other side effects it may have? I'd rather not wipe my lover's memories into oblivion." She sighed. "Besides, I already thought of possibly modifying the blade. But for now, it remains impossible."

Chika smirked. "That's fine! I don't need my legs to work for Void-chan to love me!" Yoshiko's face reddened at that and she sighed. "Ahaha!"

Ruby and Hanamaru were the next to show up, both of them assaulting Yoshiko with hugs, something Void would complain about endlessly. But in the end, she couldn't help but smile when she thought nobody was looking. The rest of Honoka's group showed up slowly. The last to arrive were Mari and Seira who laughed at the rather large gathering of people.

"It's certainly lively here." Seira said as she walked up and rustled Honoka's hair. "It hasn't been that long, but I'm glad you seem to be fine, Honoka."

"Ahaha, same goes here, Master. Still be all lovey dovey with Mari-san all day?"

Seira blushed and was about to say something when Mari wrapped her arms around the girl from behind. "But of course, Honoka-chan! When we plan the wedding, we'll be sure to let you know!" Even though Seira started to berate the girl, Honoka figured that day would come some time and she couldn't help but break a smile at that.

After waiting for the initial excitement of the gathering began to die down, Maki cleared her throat and everybody looked her way. "Thought this was just a good time to have everybody come over to finally celebrate our victory, there was another reason I called you two over." She looked directly at Honoka and Hanayo. She reached into her pocket, taking out two envelopes and held them out. "Here. Mama wanted to give them to you herself but she's swamped with work around HQ right now as you can probably imagine."

The two girls looked at each other for a second before opening their respective envelopes. They scanned over the papers, their eyes widening and they both look up at Maki at the same time.

"M-Maki is this…?" Hanayo looked back at the letter in disbelief.

"Maki-chan, is this for real…?"

Maki smiled and nodded. "Mama said something like, 'What kind of Head would I be if I didn't let them see their families after they saved the world?' So she shortened the process for this dramatically. Though I doubt it was hard to convince the other Heads when they took into account your actions. So, congratulations you two."

"Maki!" "Maki-chan!"

"Ueh!?" The girls both jumped on her, hugging her as tightly as possible. The two were crying into her shirt and she didn't have the heart to push them off so she just sighed and stroked their heads. "Come on you two…"

Yoshiko cleared her throat and glanced at Chika who gave her a thumbs up before continuing. "ha. This might not quite be able to top such a gift, but I did bring something as well. A reward and perhaps… another apology. It is my fault that you are missing an arm after all, Honoka."

Honoka waved her hand in front of her. "I told you, it's no big deal, Yoshiko-chan! You don't have to feel bad about it!"

"Yeah, yeah, this will be my atonement for it, so shut up." Yoshiko held out a hand and darkness gathered in it, the darkness of the Void, which swirled around and expanded. It took the shaped of… an arm? When the darkness faded, sure enough, an arm rested in the girl's hand.

"Yoshiko-chan… is that…"

"Indeed, it is your original arm. However, it had to be… 'fixed' by the Void. We have worked on it for the last six months. It won't be the same, mind you. Your feeling in it will be quite dulled and sometimes you may have no feeling at all. But, well, I figured it would be better than living with one arm."

"Yoshiko-chan, I…"

"Don't start the waterworks. Here. This is going to hurt a little." Yoshiko started to unbutton the ginger's shirt, something that made everybody pretend to look away. Honoka stumbled over a protest but Yoshiko ignored it until she could get a look at the remainder of the arm. She took a deep breath and pressed the end of the arm together with what was left. The Void gathered around it, slowly sealing the space between the arm and the remainder of itself until it looked perfectly normal. Honoka cringed as a burning pain shot through her nerves. "There we go."

The pain was intense, but it faded quickly. She opened and closed that hand and sure enough, she could feel it. It took her a moment to realize, but her arm looked normal again as well. It was no longer pitch black from having the Heart of the Void in it. A wide smile spread across her face and she embraced Yoshiko, this time with both arms. "Thank you, Yoshiko-chan! I can't believe this! I never thought I would get my arm back! I was prepared to live my life with just one!"

Yoshiko snorted but smiled. "As long as the Void exists, that arm will stay attached to you. Besides feeling well… your blood should flow through it like normal, so it should be subject to your demon blood regeneration like normal. You probably won't even notice."

"Thank you, Yoshiko-chan! Really!"

Everybody shared a smile as the ginger continued to cry over the girl's shoulder. She spent the next hour or so using the arm for everything, laughing at how great it felt to have it again. Her sense of feeling in it was definitely off, but it still felt amazing. That was a day she would remember for a very long time.

By the time the gathering was coming to an end, the sun was just starting to set. People had started their goodbyes and began leaving. As Yoshiko passed Honoka while rolling Chika along, she paused and smirked. "When you've fully recovered and feel that you are used to that arm, I would like a true duel with you, Honoka. Don't think that you can relax just because the demon threat has been lowered."

Honoka returned that smirk and nodded. "I'm looking forward to it, Yoshiko-chan."

With that, Yoshiko nodded and began heading out the door. "Bye bye, Honoka-chan! Hanayo-chan!" Chika called out. "I expect a duel as well! Don't think you can beat me just because I can't use my legs! Ahaha!"

The nine of them were the last to leave, all gathering in the doorway.

"So," Maki started. "What are you two going to do?"

"I would like… to see my parents tonight." Hanayo said. "It's been so long… I don't think I can wait any longer. Besides… I don't want them to think I'm dead anymore."

Maki nodded and looked over to Honoka who nodded. "I'm going tonight as well. I wasn't going to, but since Yoshiko-chan gave me my arm back, I thought it might be better to show up there now with two arms at least. A little less of a shock maybe? Eheh…"

The other girls smiled and gave them two hugs, starting their goodbyes and wishing them luck.

"Ah, that reminds me. Umi-chan, Nozomi-chan, are you going to tell your families… about your stuff?"

Both of them shook their heads. "I don't I really need to, ya know? It's not like talking with the Void is going to change anything anyways."

"I feel the same way. There is no reason to worry my parents by explaining everything to them. Sixth will remain within me for now and I'll just make sure not to speak with him in front of them."

Honoka nodded slowly. That made sense. Why would they tell their parents and cause unnecessary worry?

"**Honoka.**" Everybody looked towards Umi as Origin spoke up. The girl smiled. "**I thank you for what you have done. And I apologize for putting you in this position in the first place. I know that you have said that apologies are unnecessary, but I have caused many problems for the line of Four Seasons and well… the entire overworld. So, you have my deepest apology. I am glad that you and your partner have come out fine.**"

The two girls smiled at that. "Yeah, you're right though. No need for apologies. Master is fine, Hanayo-chan is fine, and I'm fine, so I don't hold anything against you. But… If you ever do anything to Umi-chan, I really will come drag you out of her and kill you." There was a silence before Umi and Honoka burst into the laughter, the other girls somewhat uncomfortably laughing as well.

"Remember not to mention that I'm a demon~!" Kotori chimed in happily, wrapping an arm around the ginger. "Eheh. Well, I guess you could, maybe. But that might be too big of a shock."

Honoka nodded. That was definitely something that she had no desire to tell her parents and sister. The girls began filtering out but Maki stopped Honoka when they were the only two left.

"Hm? What's up, Maki-chan?"

She expected some embarrassed response from the redhead, but Maki smiled. "I really wanted to thank you, Honoka. If it wasn't for you… I probably never would have turned back to the Moon. In the end, I really want to be part of this world. Even if the worst parts have passed… I still want to be here, to see it through to the end. And eventually, I want to pass the Moon on to somebody else. So… Thank you."

Honoka walked up to her and gave her a gentle hug, one that Maki returned this time. "I'm glad you're happy, Maki-chan. I know the feeling… of wanting to embrace your style. I thought I didn't want to fight with the Four Seasons, but the truth is… I love it. I love the feeling of using blades. And I always will. So… I think I might just know how you feel."

They separated and Maki nodded. "I suppose it's something like that for me too. I'd really like to talk about it more in depth with you but… let's save that for another time. You have something to do, right?"

Honoka nodded and gave her goodbye before setting off. She thought about all she had been though in the last year and a half as she walked. She had died, been taken in by a government organization, mastered a style of fighting using her demon blood, killed thousands of demons, and, in the end, even took down a Demon Lord and helped to save the overworld. It would be one hell of a story to tell her family at least.

By the time she reached that familiar place, that place she hadn't been to in so long, the sun had long set. She had unintentionally walked extra slowly, her nerves building up. What would her family think of her now? Would they be freaked out when she told them about herself? Would they accept her? She shook her head and smiled. There was no point in worrying about it. Now was her chance to see them again and she would be damned if she would let her nerves talk her out of it.

With a deep breath, she walked up to the door and knocked twice.

"Coming!"

Her throat tightened up at the sound of her little sister's voice and she felt tears welling up in her eyes as she saw the silhouette approaching the door.

The door swung open and she was there. Yukiho stood there in a casual oversized t-shirt and shorts that Honoka was so used to seeing her in. "May I he―" Yukiho froze mid-sentence as she took in the sight in front of her. Her mouth hung open and Honoka found her own throat relaxing at the reaction.

"Yukiho? Who's at the door?"

Honoka recognized the voice of her mother and grunt from her father as the two came to see why their daughter wasn't responding to them. They two both had the same reaction, freezing at the sight of the ginger. It was like they were weighing the probability of her being there versus her just being an illusion.

"O… Onee-chan…?" After over a minute of complete silence, Yukiho finally squeezed that one word out in disbelief, tears streaming down her cheeks. Their mother covered her mouth, unsure of how to react, but tears fell down her cheeks as well and Honoka could see the telltale signs of a wide smile forming.

It felt great, amazing, to see her family again. There was so much she wanted to say, so many things she wanted to tell them about. But she laughed to herself as she remembered there was one thing that she had to say before any of that could happen, before any sappy reunion, before the hugs that were about to begin.

"I'm home."

* * *

**So, yeah. That's the end. I know some of you may not like how things turned out, but hey, we can't always get exactly what we want, right? I wanted to keep the epilogue kind of short, so here it is.**

**I hope you'll all join me on whatever next journey I decided to put these girls through.**

**For the last time, I truly thank you all for reading this fic.**

**Till next time. Be seeing you.**


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